Star Fox Blood Feud
by general whitefur
Summary: In the months following the Aparoid Invasion a new threat begins to materialize against Lylat. A threat born of Cerinian history that Krystal and her people had long thought behind them. Krystal must now do everything she can to protect both Lylat and herself from the clutches of the mind of a madman. A madman after something lost for centuries, The Heart of Cerinia.
1. Chapter I Hair

STAR FOX

BLOOD FEUD

CHAPTER I

HAIR

Two vulpines, a tod and a vixen, sat in a cafe in one of the few districts of Corneria City that hadn't been destroyed by the Aparoids during the invasion little more than seven months ago. The cafe was simple, elegant, and not overly expensive. Tables were arranged both inside and out, and tea was the order of the day as the two suns of Lylat and Solar began their leisurely descent below the horizon. The tod was sipping from a steaming cup of Earl Grey, and trying not to look to dainty, tea was something he enjoyed but had received no end of taunting about from a certain blue feathered avian. The tod in question would have been recognized by just about anyone in Lylat. About six feet tall, with orange and white fur, piercing emerald eyes, and penchant for wearing either sunglasses, a red scarf, or both. His name was Fox McCloud, a name that was already in the history books, much to his humble embarrassment. Fox McCloud, though he took pride in both his abilities and his accomplishments was not one who enjoyed having long conversations about them. Not to mention the fact that the glowing descriptions of how he had changed the fate of the entire Lylat system on more than one occasion made his ears burn. In all Fox was a humble and simple man determined to make a difference but determined not to become famous for it. He had done a spectacularly bad job of the latter.

The vixen sitting across from him, though not as famous for her deeds, was no less well known for her associations. A good pilot, a telepath, and for all anyone knew the only survivor of the planet Cerinia whose civilization had been reported attacked and destroyed several years ago, she stood out in a crowd thanks to her cerulean blue fur coat and ritual tattoos. Her name was Krystal, no more than that had she ever been willing to reveal. Krystal was smiling as she sipped from a cup of herbal tea, but it wasn't the tea that was making her smile, it was what, or rather who, she saw coming up from behind Fox.

"What?" Asked the tod.

"FOX MCCLOUD?!"  
Fox started and likely would have sprayed his tea across the table if he had been drinking from it. Krystal couldn't help but laugh. She watched as Fox turned around to notice the small group of enthusiastic looking teenagers, each of them with a giddy smile and expression plastered on their faces. They acted as if they were meeting their favorite rock star, of course that was hardly suitable, no rock star had half the claim to fame and honor that Fox did.

"Can I help you people?" Asked Fox.

Krystal grinned at the uniform response, "Can I have your autograph?"  
She noticed Fox's ears burn, though his tail wagged a bit, he may not like the attention but he did at least appreciate the fact that people really did idolize his deeds.

"Excuse me?"

Krystal turned around, someone asking for her? When Fox McCloud was two feet away? How interesting. Maybe she was about to get a bit of publicity. "Yes?"

Standing behind her was a tod with a very interesting fur pattern. He was primarily magenta colored, but there was evidence of several black streaks in his fur, it was like no pattern Krystal had ever seen before. "You are Krystal Zonoc are you not?"  
Krystal eyes widened. Zonoc was not something that had been attached to her name for many years, and with good reason. She felt a flutter of anxiety. How could anyone in Lylat know her clan name? Her family name. She hadn't even told Fox, and she trusted him with anything. "How do you know that name?"  
The tod smiled, he actually looked like he was trying to reassure her, though there was something about him that still made her a bit nervous. It was probably the fact that her telepathy seemed to reflect off of him, as if he was shielding his thoughts from her, and doing a very good job of it at that. "I was sent to deliver something to you." The tod produced a small phial and handed it to her.

Krystal took it and looked at what was inside of it, hair, blood red, a deeper shade of red than she had ever seen anyone with in Lylat. In fact she only knew one person with that color hair. "Who are you?" She asked, but when she looked up the magenta furred tod was gone.

Fox, who had finally disengaged himself from his teenage fans looked at her, "What's the matter?"

Krystal shrugged, "I don't know. Someone just came up to me and gave me this." She showed him the phial.

Fox's eyebrows quirked, "Odd gift for a fan to give. Must be an obsessive type, you know wants you to have a piece of them. Weird."

"Fox."

"Hmmm."

Krystal leaned forward, "I don't think he was just a 'fan', he...he knew my name."

Fox smiled, "I know your name. So does most of Lylat. Haven't you heard everyone on the team is a household name?"

Krystal shook her head, "I mean my last name. My family name."  
"I thought you said you didn't have one."

Fox looked curious, his ears were cupped forward and Krystal for a moment realized how adorable he looked like that. Then the hair in the phial returned to her thoughts and she answered, "That's not entirely true. I never told you because...well it doesn't matter. All that matters is no one should know it."  
Krystal could tell that Fox was now absolutely fascinated, she could sense waves of curiosity mixed with concern coming off of him. Apparently he could tell how shaken up by this she was. "Well, what do you want to do?"

Krystal sighed and gulped at her tea, it was hot but that didn't matter, she needed to know she could still feel something. She caught sight of Fox gawking at the fact that she had just drained half a cup of very hot tea, she simply said "Ow."

Fox laughed, "I should say so. Do you know who's hair that is?"

Krystal regarded it, it couldn't be who she thought it was. She was the only one left, no one else had survived the attack. That she knew of. She had been off world when it had happened, and the automatic signal coming from her home world had warned her and anyone else to stay away. But she had been the only one off world, she was sure of that, no one else to stay away. Then how...

"Krystal, you're growling."

Krystal was shaken back to reality, "Sorry."

Fox reached across the table and put a hand over hers, "What's really bothering you?"  
Krystal glanced at the contact, she was glad that Fox was finally becoming comfortable enough to do something like that without asking. The contact also made clear his concern for her. "I know who's hair this has to be, at least I think I do. But I can't be right. I just can't be."

Fox frowned, "Well, there is an easy way to find out who's hair that is."

Krystal looked at him, "How?"

"Take it down to Miyu, she has a lab at Corneria Medical which is still standing. I'm sure she could run a genetic analysis."  
Krystal smiled just a bit, "Does the team medical benefits package cover genetic analysis?"

Fox grinned, "It does now."  
Krystal felt better immediately. She was reminded for the hundredth time that she wasn't alone anymore. She was surrounded by people who wanted to help her, Fox, the team, Miyu, even Peppy now a general, so many people. "I'm glad. When can we go and see her?"  
Fox shrugged, "We can go right now if you like. Over-ground train goes straight there."  
Krystal stood up and tucked the phial away in the purse she was carrying. Fox stood up as well and placed several credits in cash on the table before saying, "Shall we?"

Krystal nodded and took his hand, "Let's."

The two left the cafe and headed for the small over ground city train station. To get there they had to pass through one of the bombed out sections of the city. Though the blood and bodies had been cleared weeks ago the sight still made Krystal queasy. In part because of the lingering senses of emotions she got whenever she walked through these sections of the city, it made it difficult to sort out what she was actually aware of. Was she sensing the last thoughts of butchered people? The anger, the loss, the anguish, the fear. Or was she sensing something real? Something that was actually cause for concern in the land of the living. At times like these she was glad to be with Fox, she could latch onto his mind, focus on his strength, the love he felt for her, it made it all bearable. She squeezed his hand a bit tighter. "Thank you Fox."

"Hmmm?" The tod looked at her inquisitively.

"Oh nothing," She said, "Just for being here."

Fox smiled, "Always will be."  
They reached the train station, it was elevated a bit above the city itself and the two foxes climbed a set of stairs to reach the platform. Krystal remembered her first experiences with Cornerian metros, they had been...different. On Cerinia there had never been as much crowding for trains, but then warp pads had been more common, and the trains had had inertial dampeners installed, something the Cornerians apparently didn't see a need for. When she had first traveled on one of the trains the lack of inertial dampening had meant she had nearly fallen on her furry tail side, fortunately Fox had been with her and had managed to catch her before that could happen. Since then she had gotten used to it and could now hold onto something with the best of them.

Of course today the train was a lot less crowded, but that fact was no comfort, it was only less crowded because, well, now there were a lot less people in the city. Krystal remembered just how empty the city had felt when she had come back to it after the battle at the Aparoid home world. It had not been a pleasant feeling, a place so full of life suddenly so full of nothing was disconcerting to say the least. She was still trying to get used to it.

The train came to a stop at the terminal and Krystal, along with Fox and about a dozen other Cornerians hurried on. Krystal realized for the first time there were actually enough seats on the train for everyone. She sat down, Fox next to her, and said, "I hate this."

"What?"  
"I hate the emptiness."

Fox kissed her on the cheek, "Don't worry, give it a few more months, it'll be back to normal eventually."  
"And in the meantime?"

Fox smiled, "Enjoy the fact that we can actually sit down in the train for once."

Krystal huffed, "Sure, go ahead and find the silver lining."

Fox smiled even more, "One of us has to."  
The train began moving, it was four stops to Corneria Medical and along the way both she and Fox got several glances from other train riders. Several even took out their phones or tablets and, although they had the courtesy not to snap pictures, nevertheless began furiously typing away at their screens. Krystal had noted that in the absence of an overwhelming amount of good news many newspapers had begun printing stories about her and Fox's finally budding romance. They made her laugh more often than not, especially to see Fox's ears flush so red they rivaled the hair in the phial she had. "Another news story or blog entry about someone seeing us together."

Fox sighed, "Well at least now it's all about the fact that we are together, and at least they have the courtesy not to speculate on bedroom life."  
Krystal blushed at that, she had forgotten what tabloids and blogs could be like at times. The last thing she wanted was to be portrayed as, oh what was the Cornerian word? Slutty, that was it. "If they ever do I'll kick the crap out of the editors."

Fox laughed, "I'll help. Here's our stop."  
The two got up and moved to the doors, as soon as they opened they hopped out, descended the stairs back to street level, and headed for the building and institution known as Corneria Medical. The building itself was huge, fifty stories tall with a gleaming white exterior, Corneria Medical had been the foremost research hospital in Lylat for over a century. Krystal had once heard a rumor that one could only be given a position there if one tested at near or total genius. The fact that Miyu Lynx, one time fighter pilot and overall brilliant intellectual worked there was no surprise.

Though the institution had primarily been utilized for research, in the wake of the Aparoid invasion that had destroyed a great many of the city clinics it had seen a great deal of its labs hastily converted to emergency services. The whole building radiated pain and worry and Krystal quickly closed her mind to it. Hospitals filled with dying patients had never been a favorite place of hers.

"You all right Krystal?" Asked Fox.

Krystal nodded, "I'm fine. I just don't generally like hospitals."  
The two walked through the glass doors leading into the atrium and headed straight for the main desk. Behind it was a chocolate furred female canine with long brown hair wearing a nurses uniform. "Hi."

The nurse looked up and her eyes widened, "Fox McCloud?"  
"That's me."  
The nurses eyes drifted to Krystal and just as she was about to say something Krystal gasped and said "No no it isn't that!"  
The girl's muzzle clamped shut and she returned her attention to Fox, "Mr. McCloud, what can we do for you?"

Fox smiled and answered, "We need to see Dr. Miyu Lynx, resident genius. Is she in?"  
The nurse nodded, "Dr. Lynx is in. Shall I page her for you?"  
Fox shook his head, "No, just tell me where she is."  
The nurse looked at her computer screen and said, "Dr. Lynx is in lab 210 on the fifteenth floor. Go up in the elevator and then once you're out of it go straight down the hall, should be the third door on the right."  
Fox smiled again, "Thank you."

Krystal followed him to the elevator, the doors closed and Fox said, "Floor fifteen." When the lift began moving he turned to Krystal and said, "What was that all about down there?"

Krystal blushed, "Something to do with me you and a kit."

Fox's eyes widened, "Oh! Jeez really? We've only been together for what? Six months? People really love to assume."

Krystal nodded, "And we only did the necessary activities for the first time a week ago."

Krystal saw Fox blush through his fur, he said, "Don't let Miyu know."

"Of course not."

The lift doors slid open, and as soon as they reached lab 210, exactly where the nurse had said it would be, Fox put a finger to his muzzle and Krystal made sure to become ever so quiet. Turning the doorknob Fox swung the door open and said loudly, "MIYU!"  
"DAAAAHHH!"  
Krystal watched a female lynx in a white lab coat and wearing a gold earring jump out of her seat in front of a microscope, fur sticking straight out. Fox was doubled over laughing and Krystal couldn't help but find the situation to be comical as well. The lynx, after getting her fur under control walked over to Fox and promptly stomped on his foot. "OW!"  
"What you get."

Krystal rolled her eyes, she had met Miyu before and had quickly realized that the lynx and Fox had a special regard for one another. Almost akin to siblings at times. Krystal wondered if there had ever been anything more between them in the past. Krystal decided to speak up before Fox could say anything, "Sorry Miyu, I should have stopped him."

Miyu noticed Krystal and ran over to her, a medical scanner already in hand and promptly began running the whirring little device around her, "How long?"

Krystal looked confused, "What?"  
Miyu looked at her like she was stupid, which compared to Miyu Krystal would say was a fair assessment. "How long have you known?"

Comprehension dawned on Krystal, blushing she said, "It isn't that Miyu!"

Miyu stood up straight, she had bent over to put an ear to Krystal's stomach. She looked at Fox who said, "Yeah it isn't that Miyu."  
Miyu put away her medical scanner, "Then why are you disturbing my experiment?"

"Do you always have an experiment going?" Fox asked, looking none too shocked.

Miyu nodded, "When I'm trying to relax."

Krystal could see that Fox was about to reply, however she also knew that meant it would take longer for them to get to the point of why they were there. "Miyu, I have something I need you to do a genetic analysis on."  
Miyu raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Let me see."  
Krystal pulled the phial out of her purse and offered it to Miyu. The lynx snatched it out of her hand and regarded it thoughtfully, "Never really seen hair in this color. Cornerian reds usually have a lighter red or orange color to them. Like idiot boy over here." She jerked a thumb at Fox who rolled his eyes and smiled. "Where did you get this?"

"A tod handed it to me."

Miyu looked confused, "Why?"  
Krystal pursed her lips and then said, "I'm really not certain. That's why I want to know who that hair belongs to."  
Miyu sat down on the stool next to her microscope. "Well, I suppose I could help you. When do you need to know by?"  
Krystal shrugged, "As soon as you can make the determination. It doesn't have to be a priority one."  
Miyu nodded, "All right, I have a few non-recreational things to do today. After that..."  
"Non-recreational?"

Fox smiled, "She means not experiments."

"Ah."

Miyu glanced at Fox for a moment and then said, "Well, I'll call you when I have something. Until then I'd like this tod out of my lab so I can work."

Krystal took Fox's arm and said, "I'll keep him away from you Miyu."

It was dark outside of Krystal's hotel room. The team had been staying in a very nice hotel while they waited to get a new mothership. Fox was in bed next to her, the two had separate rooms, though Falco had been making the joke for the past week that it hardly seemed necessary anymore. Well, he had made the joke until Krystal had politely and threateningly told him to stop before poor Fox's ears caught on fire.

The clock next to her bed read midnight. Fox was breathing regularly behind her, asleep no doubt, and after what they had been doing soundly was probably applicable as well. But she couldn't sleep, thoughts about the hair and what it could mean conspired to keep her from relaxing even in the afterglow of coitus. She was just about to close her eyes and try and get some sleep when the phone on her bedside stand buzzed. Picking it up she tapped the "Read Message" icon on the touch screen. It was from Miyu, _"Results are in."_

Krystal thought for a moment, she should really wait until tomorrow, but the need to know if she was right or not was nagging at her so much she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep with the answer a few metro stops away. So she quietly slipped out of bed, dressed, grabbed her coat, and left the room.

The Corneria City over ground train platform was far less inviting at night. Krystal realized she probably should have brought a blaster with her, or her staff, she was licensed to carry both. The denizens of the platform tonight appeared to be a middle aged tod with a _rent-a-date _girl hanging off of his arm, a man in a hooded jacket, and one stumbling drunk lupine. Krystal could hear the train coming when the drunk suddenly lurched towards the tracks, no one else seemed to notice, so Krystal quickly ran over and put a hand on his shoulder, "Sir wait...AAAA!"  
Krystal felt a sharp pain in her abdomen as something sharp stabbed into her. The drunk, now sober, was running like a bat out of hell, leaving Krystal to fall to the ground, blood dripping from the wound. She looked down at the knife even as she heard the _rent-a-date_ girl scream. It hadn't gone up to the hilt, but it was certainly painful enough. As her vision began to blur she saw the hooded man go chasing after the wolf who had stabbed her, all she could see clearly was the man's tail. For a moment she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, the tail seemed like it was magenta with a black tip. Could it be? Before she could find out however her vision blacked out entirely as she slipped into unconsciousness.

A/N: I think I'm going to do these at the end now. Well, this is certainly a beginning. For those of you who have read my stories before I would like to say that this is a new beginning for them. There will be plenty of familiar characters, however at times they may seem unfamiliar. There will be more about their pasts, and much of what little I ever said about them is no longer really applicable. In the past stories my characters have been flat and without much detail about their past, rest assured though that this story is aiming to a change a bit of that, while hopefully providing a fun read. Well, I'm done talking, please let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter II A Sister

CHAPTER II

A SISTER

Fox woke up at six in the morning as he did every day. But this morning when he woke up he knew immediately that something was very, very wrong. For the past week, much to Falco's delight, Fox had woken up in bed with a certain cerulean blue vixen next to him. And every morning when he woke up it was to the sound of gentle breathing, a contented sigh, and the sight of Krystal. And every morning he would watch her sleep for just a moment before beginning to gently nibble on her ear. As soon as he would do that Krystal would begin to stir, yawn, open her eyes and say good morning with a kiss.

None of that happened this morning. Why? Because when Fox woke up Krystal was not in her bed next to him. "Krystal?" Fox called out, wondering if maybe she had simply woken up before him and gone to make breakfast for herself. He didn't hear a response, in fact he couldn't hear anything at all that would indicate her presence."Krystal?" He called out again. Still nothing. Fox slid across the bed to her side and sniffed at her pillow, the scent was faint and seemed several hours old. Odd. She had been in bed with him that night, of that he was certain. He noticed her phone was still by her bed, grabbing it he opened her text messages and saw one from Miyu. _"Results are in."_ It was dated midnight. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." Fox couldn't believe it, had she really gone out in the middle of the night to visit Miyu and get the test results? Fox sighed, he certainly wouldn't put it past her, and the evidence clearly said that she had.

Getting out of bed Fox grabbed his phone and dialed Miyu's number. The phone rang several times and then Miyu's voice sounded, "Fox! I'm so glad you called. I need you down here immediately. Krystal's been hurt."

Fox's disbelief turned to fear, "What? How bad."  
"Nothing too serious, but I've had to keep her unconscious for the past several hours while I had a flesh knitter work on a bad stab wound. She should be fine but you might want to get down here all the same."

"I'll be right there." Fox said. As soon as he hung up he dashed over to the dresser and pulled out underwear, a pair of pants, and a green shirt. On his way out he grabbed his trench coat, Corneria City mornings could be a bit chilly this time of year. Throwing them on he then walked out of the hotel room and took the elevator down to the lobby. What had Krystal been thinking? She should have known better than to go out alone in the middle of the night in a city that was still recovering from the level of destruction the Aparoids had brought.

In the initial months after the end of the war there had been a sharp increase in violent crime throughout Corneria City, something that many people had had a hard time believing was possible. However, the deployment of the Cornerian Guard, who had become the military's troops in the streets, had helped bring that down quite a bit. Now people were just getting used to the idea of having soldiers with assault blasters patrolling streets and guarding intersections. Fox had the feeling however that most people thought it was better than armed street gangs murdering people in broad daylight.

The elevator doors slid open and Fox walked purposefully out into the lobby. At this early hour there were very few people around. The receptionist was just settling into her desk, and the only other people Fox saw where a pair of young felines nuzzling in a corner. The sight brought a quirk of a smile to Fox's muzzle, he remembered what it had been like to have little trysts like these two were obviously just coming away from. Of course it had never been in a place as high end as this.

The smile quickly disappeared as thoughts of what he was doing made themselves back into his mind. Krystal shouldn't have done what she did, and normally he knew she wouldn't have. Normally Krystal would have thought about the situation and either stayed in bed with him or would have woken him up. It wasn't as if he would have said no to accompanying her. It was obvious to him how much this was weighing on her and he would have gladly gone with her to see Miyu.

Miyu. As Fox walked up the stairs to the over-ground station he began to feel a bit of anger at his lynx friend for having even told Krystal the results were in when she had. Couldn't she have done the sane thing and just waited until morning to tell her? But then Miyu had never been one to do things the normal way, one of the reasons he had always liked her. Fiercely independent, strong willed, and admittedly very beautiful. He was going to have a few words with her about this regardless.

The train took a few minutes to arrive so Fox occupied himself by watching his breath turn to vapor in the cool morning air while looking around at the other people waiting at the station. He noted that most of them were men and women dressed for work, and often times wearing coats similar to his. It was getting towards winter in Corneria City which meant if there wasn't snow there was likely to be rain. Today seemed to be a relatively clear day however, something Fox was thankful for; he wasn't overly fond of getting caught in the rain. The only other group of people at the station, though they stood out the most, were the trio of blue uniformed Cornerian Guard. Fox glanced over at them and smiled when they saluted smartly. He always smiled even if he didn't like the attention, it would be impolite otherwise.

Stepping into the train as soon as it arrived Fox tried not to look like he was about to break something. As annoying as it was people tended to respond to his presence, and the last thing he wanted to do was make people uncomfortable. Not that that was very easy, Fox had noticed how when he visited Cornerian Command and the Academy how cadets and junior officers had a tendency to almost trip over themselves when they saw him. Fox McCloud, living legend, hero of Lylat, celebrated warrior, and utterly sick of the looks, publicity, and adulation it got him. He had been fortunate the Cornerian Guard at the train station had merely saluted, perhaps his look of frustration and worry was enough to put people off the more fawning displays. _One of these days I'm going to leave it all behind and retire._ But not just yet. If Krystal had been stabbed then someone was going to have to do something about it. And...Fox's wrist comm. beeped. Looking at it Fox saw that it was a message from brigadier Whitefur. Whitefur, a friend of Fox's since high school had recently been promoted to command and, because of his good relations with Star Fox, was now the liaison between the team and the rest of the Cornerian Command. Fox had initially believed that Peppy would be in that position for the same reason, but general Pepper, the outgoing commander of the Cornerian Defense Force had made the decision that Peppy would take over his post. Fox hadn't argued, he couldn't think of anyone better suited to leading the Cornerian military through the times that lay ahead.

Fox opened the message and the text scrolled across the screen. _Fox, I need to see you and your team at Command at 0900._

The train came to a stop and Fox noticed it was his, stepping out he briefly typed a message back acknowledging and saying that he would be there. Message sent Fox made his way over to the Corneria Medical building. Walking up to the admissions clerk, the same girl who had helped him and Krystal yesterday he said, "Excuse me. Dr. Lynx said that I was to come here to see Krystal."

The clerk looked up and smiled, "Yes, she left a note with me to admit you. You'll find her in suite 142D on the seventh floor."

Fox smiled back and he noticed her blush, did girls always have to do that when he smiled at them? "Thanks." _Well,_ Fox thought, _I blush when they smile at me, suppose it's only fair._

Heading for the elevators Fox hit the up button and waited a moment. When the doors opened he stepped aside to let the man on it step out, then he entered and said "Seventh floor."  
The elevator went into motion and Fox took a breath. He hoped Krystal was all right, he was certain she was, Miyu was the finest doctor in Lylat, but he couldn't help but worry. He loved Krystal more than anything. The elevator stopped at the seventh floor and Fox quickly made his way to suite 142D. Opening the door he was instantly accosted by Miyu, "Fox! What kept you?"  
Fox raised an eyebrow and said as he hung up his coat, "I left the moment you called."

Miyu thought about that for a moment and then said, "Oh, well in that case glad you came so soon. Follow me."

Fox stopped Miyu and said, "Listen Miyu, next time don't text her in the middle of the night."

Miyu nodded, "I know I shouldn't have it's just..."

"Just what?" Fox could see that something was actually bothering Miyu. And things did not normally bother Miyu. It was almost certainly cause for concern when they did.

"It's best we wait and show you later. Now, do you want to see her?"  
"Why I'm here." Fox replied. He felt a brief feeling of butterflies in his stomach as he imagined walking in and seeing Krystal at deaths door. Then he remembered that Miyu had been taking care of her, and Miyu never let things like that happen. She had probably saved more lives in her career than Fox had ended. It made him wonder why he was the one who got all the praise in the galaxy.

Miyu led Fox further into the medical suite. Opening a door she said, "She's just regaining consciousness at the moment and the drugs might make a her a bit loopy. Just fair warning."  
Fox nodded and walked in. The room was small, with a curtained window, a counter with a sink and what Fox suspected were Krystal's clothes from the previous night, and a chair next to a bed in which Krystal was sitting propped up with a huge grin plastered on her face. "Fox, my sexy mate, how are you?"

Fox's eyes widened, loopy was an understatement. "Krystal?"

"Yes dear?"

Walking closer to her he said, "How many pain killers did Miyu put you on?"

Krystal stroked her chin thoughtfully and replied, "Oh I don't know. There were a couple of hypos before she put the knitter on, and then I fell asleep. You know what I dreamed about?"  
Fox had a feeling he would be happier not knowing. "What?"  
Krystal looked at him admonishingly, "I know what you're thinking. What kind of girl do you take me for? There was nothing naughty about what we did in the dream."

Fox breathed a sigh of relief, "Good to know."  
"We're consenting adults, to hell with what other people think about our habits."  
Fox's eyes widened and he said, "Krystal, please stop talking. Miyu is probably listening."

"AM NOT!"  
Fox lowered his head and mumbled, "BS." Looking back at Krystal he saw that she was looking at him intently, "What?"

"You're handsome."

Fox shook his head, "Krystal, do you know who stabbed you?"  
"Stabbed me? Is that why I'm here?" Krystal looked genuinely shocked.  
Fox tried not to laugh, this was not the Krystal he was used to. What had Miyu given her? "Yeah, you got stabbed on your way over here I'm assuming. Why did you leave without me?"  
Krystal shrugged, "Didn't want to wake you. You had been such a good boy, you deserved your sleep."

Fox did laugh this time. "OK then. Look I'll be back in a few minutes. Maybe then you won't be so..."

"So what?" Krystal asked.

"Loopy." Fox got up after planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, though he first had to dodge her arms, she was moving a lot slower than normal it would seem. Stepping out of the room he looked at Miyu and said, "What the hell did you give her?"  
"Anaprovaline. It's a new drug, it's a painkiller and detoxifier."

Fox looked concerned, "What did she need a detox for?"  
Miyu took out her medical scanner and showed him the readings, "That was no ordinary knife. It was coated in some sort of toxin. Fortunately she was rushed here fast enough that I was able to treat her. She'll be fine."

Fox nodded, "Thanks Miyu. But how long is she going to be like that? We actually have a meeting with Whitefur in a couple of hours."

Miyu was silent for a moment, "Honestly I would like to keep her here just so I can watch her be loopy and let the drug dissipate naturally. But I can speed things along. And besides I still need to show you guys the results of the genetic analysis."

"Yeah, what was it?"

Miyu pursed her lips, "Like I said I think we should wait until you both can see them. Now go in there and talk with her again. I'll be right back with a hypo that should clear her brain."

Fox walked back into Krystal's room and nearly burst into hysterics when he saw what she was doing. She was chewing on the blanket. "Krystal!"

She dropped the blanket and said, "Sorry. I just wanted something to chew on."  
Fox smiled, "Like when you were a kit?"

Krystal nodded "Exactly. Got anything better?"  
Fox shook his head, "Nope."  
"Well then, blanket it is." Krystal then began chewing on the blanket again.

Miyu walked in and said, "Oh jeez. Spit that out!"  
Krystal's ears folded back in defiance and she said through a mouthful of cloth, "No."  
Miyu pulled out a hypo syringe and marched over to Krystal, "Here this will make you less stupid."  
Fox snorted, "Your bedside manner could use some work Miyu."

"My bedroom skills never used to make you complain." Miyu responded.

Fox's ears flushed and Miyu gave Krystal the shot. A moment later Krystal spat out the blanket and said, "And I was chewing on that why?"

Miyu shrugged, "Because I gave you an idiot drug apparently. I'll have to mark that on the side effects list. Now how do you feel?"  
Krystal placed a hand near her stab wound, "Aches a little bit, but otherwise I feel fine. I don't feel like I have hole in my body at least."  
Miyu smiled, "Good. Now, do you want to come and see the results of the analysis you almost got killed over?"

Krystal nodded, "So long as I'm doctor approved to move around."

"You should be fine, just don't do anything overly strenuous for at least forty eight hours."

Fox walked over then, "Glad to see you acting normal again."

Krystal looked at him, "What was I doing? Besides chewing my blanket like a misbehaved kit."

Fox laughed, "Oh just acting like you had had a few too many. Or in this case probably more painkiller than you needed."  
Krystal looked at him, "Whatever you say."

Fox took her hand and helped her out of the bed. Miyu said, "If you want something other than a hospital gown I do have your clothes from last night in here. Unless Fox brought you some."

Fox blushed a little, had he really forgotten she would need clothes? "Uh..."  
Miyu smirked, "As articulate as ever. I'll leave you two so Krystal can get changed."  
Krystal smiled, "Thanks Miyu. Fox you can stay."

Fox nodded, "Ok."  
As soon as Miyu closed the door Krystal said, "I do remember one thing about getting stabbed last night."

"What?"

Fox watched as Krystal walked over to the counter and picked up her clothes. As she slipped out of the gown Fox bit his lip, she was almost too beautiful. Krystal glanced back at him and wagged her tail a bit, "Glad to know you think so. Now control yourself."

Fox blushed and looked away, "Sorry."

"I didn't say you couldn't look."

Fox smiled then and returned his gaze to her, though he kept his thoughts under control, Miyu was probably right outside anyway. "So, you said you remembered something from last night."

"Mmhmm." Krystal slipped her shirt on and then her jeans and boots. "When the man who stabbed me tried to flee the scene someone went after him. I think it was the same person who gave me the phial of hair."

Fox was silent for a moment, "Are you sure?"  
Krystal nodded, "Positive. I recognized his fur color. Magenta and black."

Fox raised an eyebrow, "Odd. And you didn't tell me that earlier."

Krystal shrugged, "Must have had other things on my mind. Sorry."

Fox shook his head, "It's fine. I just hope it doesn't mean you have some sort of stalker."

Krystal looked at him, "Didn't you have one once?"

"Let's not talk about that."

Krystal laughed, "Fine. Oh and what did Miyu mean when she said her bedroom skills had never made you complain?"  
Fox blushed, "You heard that?"  
"The one thing from my loopy time. Not a bad tidbit to remember."

Fox sighed, "Depends on who you are. We can talk about it later."

Krystal took his hand, "I'll hold you to that. And don't worry, I won't be jealous if it's what I think it is."

Fox tried to feel reassured by that, though honestly it was a conversation he would rather never have had to have. When they walked out of the room Miyu motioned for them to follow her. She led them a bit further down the short hallway and into what appeared to be a very high tech lab. Fox saw numerous screens and readouts, several microscopes were arranged on a table, and there numerous stacks of test tubes.  
Miyu smiled, "Ah the genetics lab, one of twenty here in this building, and there all some of my favorite places."  
"Gee I wonder why." Fox said.

Miyu glanced back at him, "Because genetics make people nervous. And don't worry, I'm not some mad scientist who believes in eugenics, despite what some might say. Now, I believe we have some things to talk about."

Krystal nodded, "Yes, I believe we do. What were the results of the analysis?"

Miyu took a breath and said, "When I got the results I wasn't sure they were right. I was actually pretty convinced I had made some sort of mistake."

Fox was taken aback, "You? Make a mistake? That isn't like you."

Miyu nodded, "No it isn't. That's why I ran the test three additional times to make certain. And every time I got the same result. Krystal, this hair belongs to a person who can only be your sister."

Fox looked at Krystal, her face seemed to be the sum of contradictions. He could see that she was fighting not to smile, attempting to hold back tears, and was at the same time managing to look completely and utterly stunned. Fox would have to say he felt probably almost as stunned as she looked. In all the time he had known her Krystal had never mentioned anything about a sister. She had never even mentioned whether or not she had had a family. Fox had never asked since, well, he had always assumed that she would tell him when she was ready, and he had always been willing to wait. "Krystal? Are you all right?"  
Krystal just stared off into space and, after a moment, said "Fiora."

* * *

A/N: And there it is your weekly Wednesday update of Blood Feud. And midnight totally counts as Wednesday. Once again I have left you with what some might call a cliffhanger, something I do because I am self-centered and am willing to do anything to make at least a few of you come back for the next chapter. Well anyways as you may have surmised the next chapter will be up next Wednesday and new chapters will continue to go up on that schedule so long as I am able to maintain that pace. Little challenge to me and a little bone for you. Now, since you have a week you have no excuse not to review this chapter, so please review it! Looking forward to hearing from you guys.

-general whitefur


	3. Chapter III Orders

CHAPTER III

ORDERS

"Fiora." Krystal breathed the word. It was a name she hadn't said or heard in years, ever since the Fall of Cerinia. Fiora, her sister, elder by one year, and quite possibly the person she had been the closest to before meeting Fox. She had long ago resigned herself to the fact that no one, including her sister, had survived the attack, this just couldn't be right. "Miyu, can you tell how she is?"  
Miyu nodded, "I can. There's no serious degradation of the hair cells, no visible damage. If I had to guess I would say she was in reasonably good health, and very much alive."

Krystal shook her head, "But there were no survivors."

She felt Fox place an arm around her, "Well, I guess you were wrong."  
Those words, _You were wrong_ for some odd reason infuriated Krystal. Smacking Fox's arm away from her she screamed, "I WAS NOT WRONG! They were all dead! All of them! Mother, father, sister. Every damn one of them was DEAD!"  
She saw the shocked looks on Fox and Miyu's faces. Gods had she really just gone off like that? This was something she should be happy about, her sister was alive! Why was she angry? Why? "I...I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry."  
Fox shook his head, "It's all right. I think I know what you're going through. To be honest I would be angry too if after years of knowing my father and mother were dead someone just shattered all of that. It's a lot to have to handle all of a sudden."

Krystal felt tears brimming, Fox was so understanding. And he was understanding because he knew what she was going through, what she had been through. He out of all the people she knew had come closest to having lost their entire world. Fox's mother and father had been his whole world, and they had been torn from him once. Just as Cerinia had been torn from her. "Thank you Fox." Krystal looked at Miyu, "And thank you Miyu. I appreciate what you did for me. Will you still be needing that hair?"  
Miyu smiled reassuringly and shook her head, "No." Taking the phial of hair she handed it to Krystal, "Feel free to have it."

Krystal took the phial and looked at it, this was the most she had seen of her sister in years. Unscrewing the cap Krystal took the lock of hair out and brought it to her nose. She breathed in the scent, rich, musky, just like a vixen should smell like. Except she could also smell the subtle differences, the faint bit of hickory that, for whatever reason, her sister had always smelled like. Smiling a bit she replaced the hair and said, "Well, thank you again Miyu."

"No problem." The lynx replied.

Fox looked at Krystal, "We have a meeting with Whitefur today, but that isn't for a couple of hours. What do you say we grab a bite to eat somewhere?"  
Krystal smiled, "Good idea, I'm famished."  
Fox took her hand and she felt him squeeze it, "All right. I'll see you later Miyu."

"See you Fox. Take care of yourself. You too Krystal."

Krystal wagged her tail a bit, "We both will." Then she and Fox walked out of the medical suite.

* * *

After leaving Corneria Medical Krystal followed Fox across the street to a little diner called the _Hungry Fox_. The two's arrival was greeted by an exclamation of their names by the somewhat startled looking waitress, and hushed silence as the patrons turned to look at them. Krystal felt her ears flush, she hated all this attention. It had been months since they had saved Corneria, it would have been nice if people could have moved on by now. Of course Krystal realized that the fact that people were so fixated on the Star Fox team wasn't just because of what they had done, but what they had come to represent in Lylat, and especially to Corneria. Hope. Star Fox meant hope to these people, the hope that once again their planet and their solar system could beat the odds and make it through another crisis. Fox looked at the waitress and said, "Booth for two?"  
The waitress, a young tigress nodded, "Um yes, yes we have one. Would you two like it?"  
Krystal could sense that Fox was feeling just a bit frustrated, she knew how much he hated people tripping over themselves around him. However as befitted his heroic and humble image he kept his cool and just smiled, "Yes, we would love it."  
The waitress nodded and led them over to the booth. The diner was not overly crowded, and the waitress had the astuteness to realize that the two would prefer somewhere just a bit more private. So she led them to a window booth that was surrounded by unoccupied space. Krystal sat down across from Fox and the waitress handed them each a menu. "What would you like to drink sir, madam?"  
Krystal smiled a bit at her use of the term madam, it was a bit better than being called ma'am, but it still felt so formal. Fox said, "Coffee."

"Coffee." Parroted Krystal.

The waitress smiled, "All right then, I'll be right out with it."

Krystal glanced out the window before looking at her menu. This area of Corneria City had been one of the least damaged, and one of the first repaired. As such the scarring that was present on many of the buildings around the city was not in evidence here, though the less physical scars were still present. For one, the squad of Cornerian Guard patrolling the street. Krystal remembered that Fox had told her when they had returned to Corneria that having troops in the streets was something unheard of on Corneria. But people tolerated it, the prime minister and the newly promoted general Peppy had promised that the troops would leave by the end of the year, and it was difficult not to trust Peppy. Still, it was somewhat unsettling to see assault rifle toting troopers on a pedestrian sidewalk. At least it was to people without the benefit of Krystal's telepathy, people who couldn't sense the fact that these men and women felt just as uncomfortable scrutinizing passing citizens for threats as passing citizens felt being scrutinized. Though she was sure no one would complain when a little girl that Krystal saw took a fall and scraped her knee. One of the troopers rushed over and helped the little girl up, and the team medic was quick to apply a spray bandage. Krystal smiled as she felt the gratitude of the parents, there were things about Cornerians and the Cornerian military that Krystal found so very different from the other worlds she had visited in her life. Sometimes they just seemed less...military.

"Gawking at the soldiers Krystal?" Fox asked.

She turned to look at him and smiled a bit, "I suppose. It's just nice when they do something like help a little girl, it proves they aren't soulless."  
Fox nodded, "No, they aren't. Actually Corneria has been criticized in the past for the way it's military operates. Some say we operate with too much compassion. For instance the fact that our troops are trained and taught to take prisoners whenever possible, always accept surrender when it is offered, and help the wounded no matter who they are. All of our rules of engagement are meant to minimize unnecessary casualties, no matter who those casualties are."

Krystal opened her menu and glanced at the selection, "Why would anyone criticize that?"

Fox shrugged, "They say it makes us less combat effective. And they're probably right. But after fighting so many wars on our own planet and showing no quarter, well Cornerians would really rather not fight whenever they have another choice. Not to say we would ever surrender. We draw the line there."

Krystal smiled, "It makes you more noble. And it means you've learned from the past. Something that few people and even fewer worlds do. It's not something to be ashamed of, it's something to be proud of. Now, I think I'll have the pancakes and eggs."  
"My we do think alike don't we?" Fox replied.

Just then the waitress walked back over to their booth and set down two steaming mugs of hot coffee. "Are you ready to order or do you need more time? If you need more time that's all right."

Krystal looked at her and tried to project a bit of reassurance, she could tell that the tigress was more nervous than she had to be. "I'm ready. I'll have the pancake and egg special."

Fox looked at the waitress and said, "Same for me."

The waitress smiled and took down their orders on a pad of paper before collecting their menus and walking off. Krystal looked at Fox and said, "Tip her nicely."  
Fox quirked an eyebrow, "I've never been stingy."

Krystal shrugged, "No. But I can tell she's very nervous about serving us."

Fox sighed and looked at the table, "Damn celebrity status. It's so annoying these days."

Krystal reached across the table and took his hand, "I tend to agree. But still, it gives people something to think about other than the fact that about a quarter of the jewel of Lylat is still in ruins."

Fox smiled a bit, "I suppose. Though I think the real jewel of Lylat is sitting across from me."

Krystal giggled a little, "Flatterer. Now, what time is our meeting with brigadier Whitefur?"  
Fox glanced at his wrist comm. "0900. But to be safe we should get there a little early. I'll message Falco and Slippy and make sure they know to be there. Though Whitefur probably has already."

"He is very organized when it comes to this sort of thing." Krystal said.

Fox tapped away at his wrist comm. screen, "Yeah, that he is. Total opposite of me."

Krystal smiled. Oh she remembered Fox's organizational skills quite well. The first time she had seen his quarters, what with their lopsided posters, strewn magazines, and two heaps of clean and dirty laundry she had had a laughing fit. She wasn't the type to panic about messes, she just found them funny in the extreme. She still remembered Fox's embarrassed expression when she had offered to help him clean. "Well, it's a good thing I came along when I did. I straightened you out right quick."

Fox glanced at her, "Right quick?"  
Krystal rolled her eyes, "Oh for the last time it's an old Cerinian expression. I suppose though it does sound a little awkward in translation."

The waitress returned and set down their plates, "Will you be needing anything else?"  
Fox looked at Krystal who shook her head, looking back at the waitress he said, "I think we're fine. Thank you."

The waitress smiled, "No problem. Enjoy your meal."  
The two vulpines tucked into their meal, though Krystal's thoughts revolved far more around her sister than they did the food she was eating. Fox seemed to notice, "Are you going to be all right Krystal?"  
Krystal smiled a bit wanly and said, "I will be. I just can't believe she's alive."

Fox looked at her confidently as he replied, "But she is. And after we're done with whatever this mission Whitefur wants us to go on is I promise I'll help you to find her."

Krystal's smile gained a bit more luster then, "Thank you Fox. That means a lot to me."

Fox smiled back, "What are friends and mates for?"

Krystal reached across the table to take his hand again, "I don't know, but I couldn't ask for a better one."

* * *

Roughly an hour later, at 0830, Krystal and Fox walked into the Cornerian Command Headquarters. The building had been spared more bombardment than anyone had expected, it seemed the Aparoids had been more intent on attacking the population than actually hitting vital targets, and so was in a good state of repair. The building was also very old, having served as the command building for the old Royal National Defense Force when this part of Corneria had still been ruled by a royal family and class of nobility three centuries earlier. As they walked in the evidence of its former function was shown by the huge marble statue of King William IV, the king who had been the first head of state to join the Cornerian Federation. Krystal had always thought the statue breath taking, as well as the history in just this one building in Corneria City. Standing rigidly at attention beneath the statue were seven red uniformed Honor Guards. Fox had once explained to her that they were present because King William IV was actually enshrined beneath the statue, therefore his remains and his statue were constantly guarded. The guards were all quite young, owing to the fact that all but the squad leader were in fact cadets of the Cornerian Defense Academy, most cadets would end up pulling this duty at least once before graduating.

Looking around they caught sight of Falco and Slippy standing at the base of the stairway leading out of the atrium. Walking over Fox said to Falco, "Remember when we had to pull Honor Guard duty?"  
Falco nodded, "Oh yeah. How could I forget? Eight hours at rigid attention next to Katt Monroe. It was hard to keep a straight face."

Fox chuckled, "Especially since she kept flicking her tail against you when no one was looking."

Falco snorted, "Yeah. I wonder how much trouble I would have gotten into if I had reacted to her."  
"A lot." Fox said, "That's a serious duty."  
"Yeah I know, but tell that to Katt." Falco replied.

Krystal smiled, she remembered meeting Katt Monroe during one of the victory celebrations. She had been quite beautiful, and Krystal had been glad to find someone there with a fur tone that stood out as much as hers did. She wondered if Falco knew that her repeated gibes and little pranks were actually her way of flirting. Ah well, Krystal had long ago decided that when it came to romantic relationships between friends it was best to leave well enough alone and let the two come to their own conclusions. "Should we get going? Don't want to be late do we?"  
"Yeah," Said Slippy, "You know what Whitefur is like about punctuality."  
"A nut job." Falco said.

Fox looked at him, "Keep in mind he is the one who gives us our paychecks now. And he's a damn good friend, so try and show the newly promoted brigadier some respect Falco."

Falco held up his wings in surrender, "All right all right."  
Krystal followed Fox and the rest up the stairs. All around them officers and other personnel passed by, all of them attending to the business of rebuilding a ravaged military and protecting a war weary planet. However Krystal could also sense a certain excitement that was beyond the norm, she had a feeling something big had happened. She wondered what.

The team reached a bank of elevators and Fox called one. When the doors opened the team stepped inside and Fox said, "Fifth floor."

The elevator began its ascent. Krystal could sense from Fox a certain anticipation, the same feeling came from Falco and Slippy. Over the past months the team had done very little real work, there had been appearances at victory celebrations, they had attended several speeches by prime minister James Vulpine about the period of reconstruction ahead, and Fox much to his embarrassment had actually given a commencement address for the Cornerian Defense Academy. But still, that was not the sort of thing any of them wanted to be doing, what they wanted to be doing was serving their people, though Krystal had been picking up on Fox's growing...disillusionment about being someone with a penchant for heroics. For a moment Krystal wondered just how many more missions Fox would actually want to go on, how many more times he was going to be willing to save Lylat. The answer though was obvious, he would stop when he needed to, when there was something more important for him to protect, what that was though...well it was something Krystal refused to speculate on.

The lift doors opened and Krystal followed her friends out. The small waiting room ahead of brigadier Whitefur's office was very simply, but very tastefully furnished. There were several wooden framed chairs with white cushions, and a painting representing the signing of the Cornerian Federation Charter overhanging a desk behind which sat a pretty female Doberman. Krystal noticed in the painting that next to the image of King William IV was an arctic fox in military uniform. Interesting, especially since Whitefur was also an arctic fox.

The secretary looked up and said, "Ah, Star Fox. The brigadier is expecting you. He said that if you're early you are to go straight in."

Fox smiled at her, and Krystal noticed Falco doing a poor job of hiding the fact that he was making eyes at her, "Thanks."

Krystal saw that the Doberman had noticed Falco's look. Krystal could sense that she was a bit uncomfortable, even if she was flattered. Swatting Falco discreetly Krystal spoke softly, "Stop being gross. Who are you Panther?"

Falco recoiled a bit and replied, "Sorry. Last thing I want to do is be like that guy."

As the team began filing into Whitefur's office Krystal winked at the secretary, she smiled back.

Whitefur's office was not overly large, certainly small compared to what general Pepper and now Peppy had at their disposal. However Krystal could see that he had still made it his own. His desk was situated just in front of a window overlooking the Defense Academy grounds, the grounds were just adjacent to the Command Headquarters. There were two chairs in front of the desk, similar to the ones in the atrium. Directly opposite the desk Krystal saw a decoration which caught her a bit off guard, two crossed broadswords beneath a shield with a small portrait of an arctic fox in a blizzard painted on it. She had never seen a decoration of that sort. Curious.

Brigadier Whitefur, who was sitting behind his desk also caught her by surprise. He was young, very young. In fact if she had to guess she would say he was no older than Fox. Like most arctic foxes his muzzle was short and his fur was white, no doubt where he got his family name from. He was also quite handsome, and Krystal could sense that he was very comfortable in his uniform which sported a bit of gold livery. Standing up he smiled and said, "Good morning Star Fox. Glad you're early, I was afraid you would be late."  
Krystal's eyes widened when she heard his voice, it had an accent that was markedly similar to her own. Granted in comparison hers was certainly much thicker, but it was still the same. Very noble. The accent she spoke with was actually the product of her noble upbringing, perhaps it was the same with this brigadier Whitefur. Either way she found him interesting already. Fox made a salute and answered, "I would never be late for you, I know how much that annoys you."

Whitefur smiled, "Well, grow up in a family where everything in the day is scheduled and one gets attached to the idea of punctuality. Now, have a seat." He noticed Krystal, smiling at her he said, "Hello, I don't believe we've met?"  
Krystal approached him and offered her hand, "No, I don't believe we have. I'm Krystal."

Whitefur did something she wasn't expecting just then, taking her hand in his he placed a kiss on it and then straightened. "Wonderful to meet you Krystal. Your accent though..."

Krystal looked at her hand for a moment, it was something she would have expected Panther Caroso to do, and had it been him she would have hated it, she would have known it had an ulterior motive. Whitefur on the other hand made it just seem gentlemanly. Looking at him she said, "My accent? I was actually going to ask you the same thing."

Whitefur nodded, "Well please sit."

Falco cleared his throat, "Slippy and I don't have chairs."

Whitefur looked at them, "If you want I can send Stacy to get you some."

Falco shrugged then, "Never mind. I don't want to be a bother. Slip and I will stand."

Slippy looked at Falco, "Who said you get to decide?"  
Whitefur grinned, "You two haven't changed a bit." He looked back at Krystal, "Now, my accent is more a product of my upbringing than anything else. I was raised in a noble family, we have an estate about seventy miles outside the city. My father is actually retired military."

Fox nodded, "Yes, I believe he made lieutenant general during the Lylat Wars."

"He did indeed. He retired at their conclusion." Whitefur elaborated.

Krystal smiled, "Well, we seem to have something in common then. My accent comes from being raised a noble as well."  
Fox looked at her, "You were a noble?"  
Krystal met his eyes and said, "Yes. I told you once didn't I?"

Fox shook his head, "Probably, but not in so many words. Besides, it makes sense. You always had an air of nobility."

"Thank you." Krystal replied.

Looking back at Whitefur Fox said, "Now, about the mission."

"Yes, of course." Whitefur leaned forward, "Two days ago the Cornerian prime minister and the minister of foreign relations received a message from the government of the planet Aurelius Prime in the Aurelian system."

Slippy entered the conversation, "Aurelius Prime? I thought they were isolationist."  
Whitefur nodded, "Indeed. They have been isolationist since our first contact seventy five years ago during some of Lylat's first extra solar expeditions. What little we know of them indicates that they have been isolationist for centuries even before we met them. At least that's what we've been told from our out system allies. However something has apparently changed. A new government coming to power, societal shift, we aren't entirely sure. But, apparently their monarch, Imperator Marcellus would like to meet with Lylatian representatives."

Marcellus? Imperator? Krystal thought those sounded familiar, vaguely at least. Strange. Fox said, "And we're going to be diplomats?"  
Whitefur shook his head, "No, you are going to be representatives of our best and brightest, our most courageous. Captain Grey will handle formal diplomatic relations as a representative of the Federation parliament."

"Grey?" Asked Falco, "As in Bill Grey?"

"Yes," Said Whitefur. "He was recently made captain of the _Victory_. The ship is actually only a month out of dry-dock."

Fox smiled, "That's great that he finally got a command. I assume we'll be traveling aboard the _Victory_?"

"Yes, and in fact you may be assigned there for the foreseeable future. At least until you can get a ship of your own again."

"Well," Said Fox, "At least Bill is in command. When do we leave?"  
"Tomorrow, 1200 hours. Can you be ready?"  
Fox nodded, "Yes sir."

"Well then, if there's nothing further?" No one said anything, though Krystal had an odd feeling about the mission, it was nothing worth bothering over though. "All right then, you are dismissed." Looking at Krystal, "It was lovely meeting you Krystal."

As Fox stood so did Krystal, smiling she said, "A pleasure brigadier."

When the team walked out Krystal said to Fox, "What do you think of the mission?"

Fox shrugged, "Money in the bank. I've done this sort of thing once or twice. It's always easy. Just look tough and talk smart when they ask you something."

Taking his hand Krystal said, "Well, I'll stick close to you then."

Fox squeezed her hand, "Count on it."

* * *

A/N: Well another Wednesday and another update. Like all the others this chapter was a joy to write, especially the scenes with Whitefur, he finally gets a bit more character. In case you haven't noticed I have injected a bit of England into Corneria, it's just my way. Now that you're done reading the chapter though it is time for you to review it, so please don't forget to! Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in a week, though I've had a little difficulty in the chapter I am currently working on, never fear I'll figure it out. *Mumbles about spaniels.*


	4. Chapter IV Fiora

CHAPTER IV

FIORA

The cell that Fiora had occupied for the past months was dank, dark, and totally uninviting. Though she felt healthy enough physically this was only because it was not her body that was being tortured. The cell she was in was meant to slowly break a person's will, make them more susceptible to suggestion, physical torture grew numbing after a time and her captors had far more effective methods. After all it was those methods that had led to her captors being exiled from Cerinia all those centuries ago. For trying to use the gift that had been given to the people of Cerinia to control the minds of others. That fundamental disagreement between the Cerinians and the Amanoi, now called by what was left of her people the Outcasts, had led to the Great War. A war that had killed millions and left the Cerinian people eternally scarred. All that had happened centuries ago, and at the end of it what remained of the Amanoi had left her world seeking a new place to live. Cerinia had done its best to forget about them, done its best to rebuild without having to remember that time of conflict. When Fiora had been born her world was thriving, it had been isolated from the galaxy to be sure, her people had never seen a reason to travel to the stars, after all where could faster than light travel take them but away from their home, their paradise? Fiora still remembered the city that she, her sister, and her mother and father had lived just outside of. Tendked had been a city of glistening crystal spires, some of which her father had designed and helped to build. It had also been a city filled with parks, shrines, and ornately decorated temples. Cerinians had always made things as beautiful as they could, and Tendked had been the most beautiful of their cities.

Fiora had grown up well cared for and well loved by her parents. She had grown up with wealth and privilege, and when she had received her Uwo Zonoc, her Age Jewel when she was eighteen, she had had a ceremony attended by more people than she could count. The same had been done for her younger sister Krystal, her sister who had inherited her mother's fur, Fiora had inherited her father's blood red.

All of that being considered the cell that had been home to Fiora for the past few months was far from what she had been used to growing up, though not much worse than what she had been relegated to after her escape from Cerinia. When the attack had begun no one had any real idea what was going, the exception being her mother. Her mother had always been a great student of history and prophecy, and she had always warned that the Amanoi, the Outcasts would return one day. People had listened to her, but Fiora knew that most had likely thought "Perhaps, but not in my life time." The problem was that even if some of them had been right about that it didn't matter for her, because it had happened in Fiora's lifetime, and that's what mattered.

The attack had been sudden, and had primarily consisted of the Amanoi ships firing down on the planet from orbit. The bombardment had shattered the crystal spires of Tendked, and each one that had fallen had killed countless people. Fiora could remember the feelings of death, anguish, fear, and confusion that had so bombarded her telepathy. The feelings of a people who had been at peace for centuries and were suddenly being attacked for a reason many of them didn't remember, by a people none of them knew. All the millions who had died in the attack on Cerinia that day had died for an age old blood feud that no one on Cerinia cared to remember. But it was something the Outcasts had never forgotten.

When the bombardment had ended the Amanoi had begun to send down their soldiers to kill whoever was left. It was in this lull in the attack that Fiora's mother had rushed her to a transport, one of the few that was ready to evacuate, and shoved her inside before turning to face a squad of the killers who had come to Fiora's peaceful and perfect world. A world she had intended to spend her life on, to marry on, to raise her children on, and to one day inherit her father's title and lands to pass down to her children on her death. All of that was gone though. As the transport lifted off Fiora had seen that it was filled with mostly young men and women like herself, many of them with small children clinging to them wailing and crying to their older sibling for mother and father.

It was at that moment that Fiora realized what her mother and father were going to do, that they were going to die fighting to give the transport filled with young every spare second they could to escape. As the transport had climbed through the atmosphere Fiora had thought of her sister and was relieved to remember that she had been off world. Although it was rare some Cerinians chose to go off world for a time, to see what lay beyond the paradise that three centuries of Cerinians had labored to create after the horrors of the Great War. Fiora had considered contacting her, but then had decided against it. Fiora knew, just like every one of the older, though still young, men and women knew that if their people were to survive then they would have to spread out, go into hiding. The attack, even to those who did not know the history behind it, was clearly an act of genocide, and the last thing that could be afforded was to make a second attack possible. The further apart and the less contact the survivors had with each other the better, it would make it more difficult for one to compromise the location of another. So Fiora had not contacted Krystal, she had let her younger sister, her closest confidant, the person she loved as much as her parents, think she was dead. That is until just a few days ago.

When Fiora had been captured all those months ago it had been by an Amanoi, but not an Amanoi like she had been expecting. She had always thought they would be monstrous looking, evil and twisted. This one had been quite the opposite, and he had had none of the mind controlling powers his people were supposed to have. He had said his name was Decius, a name that was certainly Amanoi in origin. He had had magenta and black fur, an odd combination. And his telepathy had been different too, when she had tried to reach out to him her mind had slid off of his, unable to gain a purchase. She had asked him and he had explained that it was a rarity, a response to the controlling nature of his people that sometimes, especially if one was a cross breed between a non-telepath and an Amanoi like he was, that the mind was unable to be read without the contact being initiated by the person. Fiora had found him mysterious, and handsome, and she was certain that if he had not been her captor she would have found him very attractive.

When they had reached his world she had been taken to her cell and introduced to a black furred fox who had said nothing to her before shoving her to the floor and placing both his hands on her head. The moment he had done this Fiora knew what was happening, this was an Amanoi mind control technique, the physical contact helped to amplify a telepaths power over a subject. The man's mind had invaded hers, the tendrils of his thoughts brushing against her defenses, battering at them sometimes, and other times finding ways to simply caress them into submission. It had been the most painful and traumatizing experience of Fiora's life, and the man hadn't even taken anything from her mind. Fiora knew that all he had been trying to do was exert his power over her, to show her that he would be able to control her when he wanted to. When he had left Fiora had been reduced to a crying and sniffling mess trying to make sense of what was happening to her. And that was when she had felt his touch.

She had looked up and seen through the tears that young tod who had captured her, that young man who's thoughts she couldn't read, who's emotions she couldn't sense, looking down at her with tears in his own eyes. She hadn't known what to think, but she had taken comfort from the hand on her shoulder. He left soon after.

After a week without another visit from the black furred fox Fiora was beginning to wonder if she had been forgotten about. The next day she received her answer, the black furred fox returned, and so did Decius, following in his wake. The attack was the same as the first, a mere expression of power. And the result had been the same. This went on for nearly two months, once a week every week, and Fiora had begun to wonder if she could hold out. No one spoke to her on the occasions when she did see someone. When she was brought food and water by servants she noticed the females all had magenta or other brightly colored fur tones. The males on the other hand, the few that she saw, were all a deep shade of brown. None of them spoke to her, in fact she was lucky if any of them even looked at her.

The next time she was attacked, though Fiora was beginning to think that raped was a better word for it, certainly violated fit, Decius stayed longer. When she had managed to fight back her tears she had asked him, "Why?"

Decius had frowned, "Because you are Cerinian. He thinks you know where it is."

Fiora looked at him, "Where what is?"  
Decius looked pensive before saying, "Your heart. He thinks you know where the Heart of Cerinia is. The thing that gave our people powers of the mind."

Fiora had thought about this. The Heart of Cerinia was a myth as far as she was concerned. Though she had remembered that certain high priests had spoken the word that it was a real thing, that it was waiting to be found by one worthy. Fiora had never believed that though, the Heart was a myth, a tale that people told the young to caution them against a desire for power, because power was what the Heart offered. It made sense though that an Amanoi would be looking for it, perhaps making them leave Cerinia hadn't been a good idea after all. Perhaps her people should have shown no mercy and killed everyone of them.

"You don't mean that do you?"  
Fiora looked at Decius, "You read my thoughts?"

Decius actually blushed, "I am sorry. But your mind right now, it's very open."  
Fiora felt a sudden rush or anger, "It's hard to keep it closed after it's been forced open like that. Who is he?"

Decius had looked at the floor and said, "My father."  
After telling her that he had left, and Fiora wondered if he felt ashamed in some way. She certainly would have if a member of her family was committing a violation of the mind. On Cerinia that had been one of the few things one could be killed for. It was a violation of everything her people held dear, the right to keep ones thoughts private in a world where they could be read by anyone. Fiora hated Decius's father, but somehow she didn't hate his son. What had he really done? Nothing. Nothing but offer her the comfort of a physical presence when she was feeling so vulnerable. Perhaps she couldn't read his thoughts and thus didn't know his intentions, but he had stayed behind after every attack, and she had thought she heard him cry as well on more than one occasion.

The next time she had seen him she had asked him why he stayed, and he said, "Because I did the same thing for my mother."  
Fiora had been stunned, after a moment she had asked, "Your mother?"

Decius nodded, "My mother did not want to mate with my father. He is a vicious man, but he is also a man who can and will get what he wants. He wanted her body, so he attacked her mind until she had no choice but to submit, until she had no desire to resist. I was born months later, but he didn't stop after that. He kept on until one day she had nothing left but a planted desire to please him whenever she saw him. My mother became a slave to him, and then she died."

Fiora hadn't said a word. She hadn't expected any of that. She knew the Amanoi were cruel, but to use ones power to force a person to copulate, to force them to want to copulate when they saw you, it was unthinkable. It was disgusting, horrifying, terrifying, it was even evil. When she looked at Decius and saw the look of pain on his face she had wanted nothing more than to comfort him. Certainly she was having a moment of weakness, and for all she knew this was part of some plan to get her to break more easily. But Fiora was compassionate, her people were compassionate, and she wasn't going to surrender that. Going over to him she had placed her arms around him and held him. And moments later she had felt his lips against hers. She hadn't resisted what came after, she didn't want to. And when they were done he had left, and Fiora had experienced a sleep filled with happy dreams for the first time in months.

The next time the black furred fox came to torture her she had expected him to say something like, "Tell me what I want you to know and I will let you see him."  
But he hadn't said that, he had simply attacked her like he had before. Fiora had fought harder this time, doing her best to hide all memory of what had transpired between her and Decius the last time. She didn't know if she had been successful until Decius returned and said, "He doesn't know. But he has found what he was looking for."  
Fiora hadn't known what to think of that. "How? I don't know where the Heart is."  
Decius had gently pressed a hand against her left breast, "No, but this does."

Fiora looked at him and said, "A deep memory. A memory of the heart. We all know don't we?"  
Decius shook his head, "No. But you do. And the rest of your family would as well. He knows about your sister. He's going to bring her here as well."

Fiora felt a stab of fear. "Krystal?"

Decius nodded, "I'm being sent to Corneria, the planet she is on, to make sure that the plan will work. If I find her there and the rumors we hear are true, then we will find a way to bring her here."  
Fiora thought for a moment. "Corneria is in Lylat." Decius nodded again. "What will your father do?"  
Decius sighed, "Lylat is a jewel he wishes to conquer at some point. But first he wants to reveal himself, and he wants to know more about them. Your sister is a member of a team that just saved that system from a dreadful enemy. And Corneria will be looking for strong allies to help protect it. He will tempt them here with the possibility of an alliance. And he will make sure that Star Fox is sent to meet us."  
"When you go," Fiora said, "Do something for me."

"Anything."  
Fiora took the knife that Decius always carried, she saw the look of apprehension in his eyes, the look only became more urgent as the knife traveled closer to her neck. But rather than cut her throat as he seemed worried she would do, she cut off a lock of her hair instead. Handing it to him she said, "See that Krystal gets this. I want her to know that I'm alive. She can help us."

Decius took the lock of hair and nodded. "I will, and I hope she can. Either way I will do my best to protect her. There are those among us that would sooner see Cerinians dead. Rumor has it an assassin may already be after her."

Fiora locked gazes with Decius and said, "Protect her. And Decius..."

"Yes Fiora?"

"I love you."

Decius smiled and took her hands, when he did this she felt something she didn't expect. She felt his mind, and rather than simply slide off of it she was allowed to enter it. She saw all his thoughts, his memories. His memories of the way his mother had been tortured, the way his father had exerted his control over her until she had finally died, died a broken and defeated woman. Passed that though she felt the love he felt for her, the love he felt for her because he trusted her, because she was the only one he could trust. She felt his desire to protect her, his desire to see to it that no harm came to her, and that if it did he would always be there to help her pick up the pieces. It was a protectiveness that she could feel also extended to her sister. It extended to Krystal because Krystal was precious to Fiora, and that was enough to warrant the watchful eye of Decius. All of it made Fiora smile, she smiled because now any doubt about his intentions was removed. He wasn't using her, he wasn't playing games with her, he loved her. And now she could trust him, now she really could love him without the worry that in truth it was unrequited.

A few moments later the contact ended, Decius said, "You see? I mean it when I say I love you."

Fiora smiled, she felt almost euphoric in a way. Or at least she felt happier than she had in a long time. "And I mean it when I say that I love you two. Kiss me."

Decius had kissed her, and soon they had found that they went far beyond just kissing. When they were done, and after they had lain there exhausted for a few minutes, Decius had gotten up and dressed. "I have to go. If I'm late for my ship it might arouse suspicion." He said.

Fiora nodded and pulled him into one last kiss. When they were done she said, "Then go. I'll be as safe as I can be."

Decius looked at her once more and said, "I'll be back as soon as I can be." Then he left the cell.

When he was gone Fiora had lain there and thought about the future. What was going to happen? Certainly it was only a matter of time now before she escaped. Her sister was strong, and together they would find a way to defeat this black furred fox. A way to defeat the Amanoi. And a way to make sure that no one would ever be able to find the Heart of Cerinia. But until then Fiora would wait, and she would pray to the gods that Decius, Krystal, and everyone who got caught in the middle would be all right.

A/N: Well we certainly learned a lot in this chapter, and I think it was probably the most intense chapter of them all. So far at least. As always I would love to know what you all think so please leave a review, and be assured that more is coming!


	5. Chapter V A Brief Chat

CHAPTER V

A BRIEF CHAT

The _F.S.S. Victory_ was a fine ship. At least Krystal thought so. She could remember back to her years in exile when she had been forced to live mainly on her own small transport vessel. It had been a vessel with very few creature comforts, and although the _Victory_ was certainly no pleasure cruiser it was still more than comfortable enough.

The trip to Aurelius Prime would take a total of thirty-six hours and Krystal had elected to spend a good deal of that time in meditation. Fox on the other hand seemed to have different plans. "Krystal?"  
Krystal ignored him, she was meditating, and he knew it.

"Krystal?"  
Krystal squeezed her eyes shut a bit harder. Did he really have to do this?

"Krystal?"  
That was it. Her eyes snapped open and she whirled to face him. "WHAT?"

Fox looked surprised at her frustrated tone, "Uh."

Krystal sighed, she shouldn't have lost her temper like that. Fox was just bored and looking for something to do. "I'm sorry Fox, I shouldn't have snapped. What is it?"  
"I was going to head for the common area and get something to drink, I was just wondering if you wanted to join me?"  
Krystal nodded, it wasn't a bad idea seeing as her mouth felt rather dry. How long had she been meditating? "Fox, how long have I been at this?"  
"Six hours this session." Fox replied, "I've never seen you meditate for that long. I was actually a little worried."

Krystal bit her lip. Six hours? That was a very long time, even for her. It was clear why this was happening, she was thinking about her sister. Ever since she had seen that phial of hair her thoughts had been of Fiora. Where was she? How was she? What was she doing? Apparently the situation was bothering her a lot more than she cared to admit, and meditation was one of the few things that could ever really soothe her thoughts. It was no wonder she had been needing so much of it lately. "Sure. I could do with something to drink."  
Fox smiled and got up from where he had been perched on the bed in their quarters. The quarters they had been assigned were for junior officers, they were thus a little more comfortable than the barracks type accommodations for enlisted personnel. The quarters that Fox and Krystal shared were furnished with a bunk bed, a writing desk with tablet and computer terminal situated in front of a viewport, a chair, and a bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower. Krystal stood up and took his hand, she could sense a sort of eagerness in her mate. "What is it Foxy? Just eager for a drink?"  
"Actually," Said Fox, "I'm meeting someone in the common area for drinks. I thought you should meet her though."

Krystal looked at him questioningly, "Who?" She had already met Bill Grey, captain of the ship and an old friend of Fox's. However she hadn't known there was anyone else on the ship that Fox knew.

Fox smiled, "Fay Spaniel, Commander of Fighters."

"Oh." Said Krystal. "Not a name I know."  
Fox squeezed her hand, "I think there are a lot of names on this ship you don't know."

"Why do you say that?" Krystal had the feeling though that she knew the answer.

"Well, " Fox said, "You've spent most of the trip in our quarters. Is there something wrong?"

Krystal sighed, in truth she felt that everything was wrong. She had this strange feeling that her finding out her sister was alive had something to do with this mission. Perhaps it wasn't anything direct, nothing closely related, but she still had this feeling that the timing was too much of a coincidence to be ignored. And she still found her thoughts being sometimes drawn to that magenta and black furred fox, what was his place in all of this? Did he have a place other than that of someone making a strange delivery? This was why Krystal had spent so much time in meditation, hoping that by some fluke the gods or her mind might give her a bit of foresight, a vision of things to come. There was only one problem. On the rare occasions during the trip that she had had a vision, or when she remembered a dream, it had been of the past. She had had dreams of the Great War on Cerinia from centuries ago. She saw images of death, of soldiers in trenches and ruined cities, of civilians being slaughtered, of priests exhorting against both sides enemies. None of it made sense. "It's nothing. At least nothing important."  
The two entered a lift and Fox said, "Deck three." When the lift began moving he looked at Krystal and said, "I don't believe that."

Krystal quirked an eyebrow, "Oh?"  
Fox shook his head, "Not for a minute. Something is eating at you, you know something don't you? Maybe something you can't make sense of, but that you feel has everything to do with what's going on."  
Krystal looked at Fox. He was more perceptive than some might give him credit for. Sighing she said, "Listen Fox, until I know what I'm talking about I don't want to tell anyone. But trust me, the moment I have something that makes any sort of sense you'll be the first to know."

Fox nodded and kissed her on the cheek. "Ok. I trust you Krystal."

Krystal smiled. That word, trust, meant so much to her. Krystal had never really known or understood what had happened to her world, though she had come to the obvious conclusion that someone was trying to kill off her people. In all her years of wandering she had never permitted herself to trust anyone implicitly. It had kept her alive to be sure, but at the cost that no one would ever be willing to truly trust her in return. Her search for answers had been equal parts quest and exile. People didn't naturally trust beings who could read their thoughts, and Cerinians had a tendency to not trust outsiders of any kind. So for those years in exile Krystal had had one pervading feeling, loneliness. There was never any closeness, never any intimacy, because she could never have trusted anyone enough to make that possible. Then she had met Fox.

For whatever reason Fox had just seemed the sort anyone could trust. The sort that if you told him a secret you didn't have to worry that he would tell everyone he knew. That was one thing she had concluded about him without even having to use her telepathy, and thus he had been the first to know about her powers. He had been uncomfortable to be sure, but he had looked at her and instead of telling her to get stay the hell out his thoughts he had said, "Sorry if you picked up on anything...weird."

His response had made Krystal giggle. Oh she had picked up on one or two errant little fantasies, it hadn't bothered her though, she had picked up on far worse from far less honorable men. After that she had told the rest of the team and a few days later she was officially made the fifth and first female member of Star Fox, her specialty in telepathy.

The lift doors opened and Fox said, "Coming Krystal?"  
Krystal shook herself from her reverie and walked out of the lift, "Of course. I was just lost in thought."

Fox frowned, "Nothing bad I hope."

As the two walked towards the ship's common area Krystal replied, "Just thinking about the past, when I first told you about my telepathy."

Fox smiled ruefully, "Oh was that awkward."  
Krystal giggled a little, "Only because your first thought was 'I hope she didn't pick up on me wanting to...'"

Fox gave her a look, "Shhhh."

Krystal realized that this corridor of the ship was far more traveled than the one they had been in a moment ago, and that the privacy of the lift was non-existent here. "Sorry."

Fox smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, no harm done anyway. Here we are."  
Krystal followed Fox through a set of doors and into a very large and well furnished room. As the main common area aboard the starship the room was crowded with off duty personnel of virtually every rank. Men and women relaxed on couches, sipped drinks, sat reading in chairs, or stood in groups chatting away amiably. Krystal's telepathy could pick up on the fact that in this room rank seemed immaterial, no one here was giving orders, it was just bonding time for the crew, a safe haven.

It also had a spectacular view of the stars ahead of the ship. At times like these when the ship was in superluminal the stars and the light in space combined into a veritable riot of different colors. Krystal thought it was beautiful.

Fox led her over to a set of chairs in front of the viewport and smiled at the white furred spaniel already sitting there. Krystal assumed this was Fay. Fay was short, with curly white hair, and a gigantic red bow perched on top of her head. Krystal had the feeling that the bow was somewhat less than regulation. She was dressed in a blue pilots uniform and was sporting two solid pips and an open pip indicating her rank as a lieutenant commander. Krystal could also sense waves of bubbly excitement rolling off of the spaniel, and from what Krystal could tell it was for really no other reason than being alive. Krystal liked her already.  
"Fox!" Fay exclaimed as she practically bounced out of her seat at the sight of him. She then threw her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug and said, "It's been way too long."

Fox hugged her back and replied, "Going on over a year. I'm sorry I haven't seen you."  
The two disengaged and Fay said, "Oh don't apologize, I hate that." Catching sight of Krystal, "Is this the blue vixen I've been hearing about? The vixen that finally stole away Fox's heart."

Krystal smiled, "It is indeed."

Fay grinned, "Oh my gosh it's so wonderful to finally meet you!" Krystal could see that Fay was about to fling her arms around her as well, "Oh, can I hug you?"  
Krystal laughed, it seemed such a cutely odd question. "Sure, why not?"

Fay threw her arms around Krystal and then said, "Oh I can see why he likes you."

Krystal blushed a bit but smiled. Normally a comment like that would have been a bit off putting to Krystal, but in Fay's case it was made so lightheartedly it was difficult, nay impossible, to be angry. When they separated Krystal, Fox, and Fay sat down in the chairs and Fay said, "So, what have you two been up to in your quarters? Were barely more than a few hours of Aurelius Prime and I haven't seen either of you."

Krystal looked at Fox, "I hope I haven't been keeping you from your friends."

Fox smiled reassuringly, "I was fine."

Looking back at Fay Krystal said, "I've been meditating for the most part, so nothing overly exciting."  
Fox nodded, "A lot of meditating. Been very quiet."

Krystal looked at him, "Complaining?"  
Fox looked back at her, "Not in a million years."

Fay rested her head on a hand and said, "You two are cute you know that?" Fox and Krystal looked at her, "What? You two really are cute together. I remember with Fara and Miyu the relationship was...different. And decidedly less cutesy."

Krystal looked at Fay, her curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean?" She could already sense Fox's trepidation about the conversation.

"Well," Began Fay, "They just seemed a little more lusty and all over each other. You two just seem to have this quiet, deep connection that Fox never really used to make."

Fox took Krystal's hand and said, "Oh trust me there is plenty of that other bit."

Krystal smiled wistfully, "Plenty. Though it took awhile to get there."

Fay nodded, "I can tell. With Fara and Miyu it sort of just happened, kept happening, and then stopped. You two though, you seem much more long term."

Fox looked at his feet, "Makes me sound pretty bad Fay."

Krystal shook her head, "Not at all. We were all young at one point or another. And besides, I know both Fara and Miyu, they're both wonderful."  
Fay's eyes widened, "You introduced her to Fara?"

Fox looked at the spaniel, "I don't know why everyone always reacts that way. Everyone seems to think 'how could those two ever get along?'" Fox shook his head, "You know what happened when they met?"

Krystal smiled, "Fara looked at Fox and said 'Finally he found someone he loves.'"

Fox nodded, "Exactly. See, other people and their belief that all my previous girlfriends have to be mortal enemies."

Fay shrugged, "Hey, I was just channeling what other people think."  
Fox huffed, "Other people love to manufacture drama where it doesn't need to be."

Fay laughed, "It's tabloid gossip. So, as long as we're here why don't we get something to drink?"

Krystal nodded, "That sounds great. Fox why don't you handle that?"

Fox raised his eyebrows, "What am I a waiter?"  
"Yes," Said Krystal, a smile playing on her lips, "Now I will have a cup of earl grey tea, and let's have fun and add a dash of milk."

Fay smiled, "Well if it's tea time count me in. Just some black tea with sugar."

Fox looked between them, "And where do you expect me to get this wonderful not military surplus tea?"

Fay laughed, "Oh Fox I would have thought you knew. The _Victory _is equipped with food replicators, we can have just about anything we want when it comes to food and drink."

Fox's eyes widened, "You're kidding."  
Fay shook her head, "Nope." She pointed towards the wall opposite of them which had a bank of several slots. There were several crewman in the area, one of them spoke and then a few moments later a cup of brown looking ale shined into existence. "See?"  
Fox's jaw dropped, "Oh cool. Slippy was telling me about those things being included on the new designs. I just didn't know they would be on this ship."  
Fay nodded, "They are. Ship is only about a month old you know."  
Krystal smiled and said, "Now off you go Fox."

Fox got up and headed for the replicators. Krystal turned to Fay, "Tell me more about Miyu. I got everything I could about him and Fara straight from her. But I never knew he and Miyu..."

"Oh yes." Said Fay. "It started about two years after the end of the Lylat Wars. Fox was on a mission and Miyu, who was back then still a free lance fighter pilot, happened to be on the same job. They ran into each other, had a brief fight over the fact that only one of them was going to be collecting the fee, and, according to her, were in each other's arms and on the bed within minutes."  
Krystal's eyes widened and she smiled a bit, now that was a Fox that she both knew and didn't know. She had always been used to Fox being bashful and because of it very hesitant with his affections. At least that's how he had been for the year between them meeting and fighting the Aparoids. But it had only been very recently that the two had become physical, though it had been plain to her that Fox had been as pent up and eager for that as she admittedly had been. "How long did it last?"

Fay shrugged, "Oh probably about a year, give or take a few months. They liked each other but they just weren't really right for each other. Miyu was much more the intellectual type. Not that Fox is stupid or anything though." She was quick to add.

Krystal nodded. "They still seem close."

Fay smiled, "So Miyu tells me. The break up was more amicable than most, and ever since then they've had a tendency to look out for each other."

Fox returned then and set down the girl's tea, he himself had gotten a tall glass of lemonade. Looking between the two of them he said, "Let me guess Fay, you told her about me and Miyu."

Fay grinned happily and wagged her tail, "Yep yep. And it's ok."  
Krystal smiled at Fox, "It really is Foxy. People have flings all the time, it certainly doesn't bother me that you have."  
Fox quirked an eyebrow, "You didn't though."

Krystal shrugged, "Perhaps not, but then we come from different cultures. And I never had anyone as wonderful as Fara or Miyu until I met you, then I had someone even more wonderful."  
"Oh now that is cute." Fay said. "See what I mean, you two are just meant for each other."  
Fox smiled at Krystal and then looked at Fay, "What about you? Anyone in your life?"

"Bill." Fay replied.

Fox stared, Krystal could sense his astonishment. She wasn't sure why though, everything she knew about Bill pointed to him being an honorable enough man. A man any woman would be lucky to say she had.

Fox said, "Seriously? You two finally got together?"  
Fay grinned happily, "Yep. The rank thing bothered him at first until I pointed out the fact that those regulations preventing romance between officers had been eliminated years ago."

Krystal looked at Fox, "Another oddity of the Cornerian military?"  
Fox nodded, "Yeah. Well I am very happy that you two finally admitted to your feelings. Only took you about eight years."

Fay leaned back in her chair, "Oh nuts to you. And besides we both had other relationships going when we met, and we had several more between then and now. Not everyone can be as chaste as Fox McCloud."

Krystal, who had been sipping from her tea, nearly sprayed it as she tried to restrain a ferocious giggle. Fox himself was sputtering that he just didn't go looking for a lay like Falco or Panther when Krystal managed to cut in, "Fox I never realized Miyu was the last woman you had before me."  
Fox blushed, "Well yeah."

Krystal smiled, "That is quite a feat. How did you..."

Before Krystal could finish her question there was a shutter in the deck-plates and the view through the window of the common area switched from the cascade of colors into a normal star-field. "Why did we drop out of superluminal?" Fay asked to no one in particular.

Krystal and Fox both looked out the viewport. Outside the _Victory_, at what looked like no more than ten or fifteen kilometers, was a ship. Or at least half a ship with more becoming visible as ribbons of white light coruscated across its green hull. As soon as the first ship, with its raptor like design, was fully visible another one began to appear. Krystal felt a cold shiver go down her spine, she bit her lip, she knew exactly who those ships belonged to. How could she have been so stupid? Marcellus? Imperator? Those were all words she knew. "By the gods how could I have missed it?" She whispered to herself. She knew one thing, this mission had just become far more interesting as well as far more dangerous.

* * *

A/N: Well that was a bit more of a character driven chapter than anything particularly exciting. Of course the ending though, well things are finally getting real. I will do my best to have chapter six up next week, though I've been having a slight case of writers block, weird since the story is finally picking up, but then maybe that's exactly why. Anyways please drop a review for the chapter, they do keep me motivated and I do read every single one, even if I don't always respond. Thanks for reading!

-general whitefur


	6. Chapter VI Contact

CHAPTER VI

CONTACT

"What is it Krystal?" Fox asked. Krystal looked out the viewport at the two ships hovering there. She knew who they belonged to and it terrified her. All of a sudden things were starting to make sense, things she had wondered for years. Who had destroyed Cerinia? And why had they destroyed Cerinia? All of a sudden it felt as if the answers to both those questions were staring at her from a mere handful of kilometers away in interstellar space. "Krystal?" She felt Fox's hand touch her shoulder.

Turning to face him she said, "I need to speak with Bill right now." She didn't wait for him to answer, she just stood up and made for the doors to the common area. As she walked she could sense that the majority of the crew in the common area, though curious about the new arrivals, did not seem overly concerned about them. Something clicked in Krystal's memory, escorts, they were supposed to be picked up by escorts when they were close to Aurelian space. Now Krystal definitely felt worried, if these were there escorts than things were far worse than she had imagined.

She could hear Fox and Fay following behind her, the spaniel asked, "What is it?"  
To which Fox replied, "I don't know exactly, but it has Krystal worried, and if Krystal is worried it's usually not a good sign."

Krystal continued to lead them briskly through the ship's corridor and then to the lift. As soon as they were all inside she said, "Bridge."

The lift began moving and Fox took her hand asking, "Krystal, what's going on? Is there something we need to be worried about?"

Looking at him she could see the concern in his eyes, and her telepathy could pick up on the worry he was feeling for her sudden terrified look in the common area. "Those ships, I know that design. Like a raptor. Three hundred years ago my people fought a bloody civil war, millions died. At the end the people who we now call Outcasts but who call themselves Amanoi left our world. We banished them. I had always assumed they disappeared. But those are their ships"

Fay said, "Then the question is why are they this close to Aurelius Prime?"

Krystal sighed, "Isn't it obvious? The people we are meeting on Aurelius Prime are the Amanoi. Blast I should have known!" Krystal felt the frustration bubbling up in her. She was angry at herself for not realizing the moment brigadier Whitefur had mentioned the name Marcellus and the title Imperator. Marcellus was such a clearly Amanoi name, and Imperator? That was a word that every Cerinian school child learned in their history classes.

Krystal saw that Fox was about to try and comfort her, and his comfort would have been welcome, but the lift doors chose that moment to open. Stepping out onto the arrow shaped bridge Krystal saw on the viewscreen a brown furred vulpine. Bill, sitting in his command chair, was addressing the vulpine. "I assume you are our escorts."

"Indeed captain Grey. I apologize for the suddenness of our appearance. It is however standard procedure that we cloak our vessels when leaving the home system."

Krystal cursed silently to herself, for a moment she had held out the strange hope that they were under attack by a marauding band of pirates, something, anything else than being picked up by Amanoi escorts.

"I understand. Shall we get back underway?"  
The brown furred vulpine nodded, "We will escort you the rest of the way to Aurelius Prime at a cruising speed of superluminal five. That will have us arrive in two hours."  
"Understood." Bill replied, "_Victory_ out. Helm resume our previous course, superluminal five."  
Krystal heard Fox clear his throat. Bill swiveled in his chair and quirked an eyebrow, "Fox, Krystal, Fay, what are you doing up here?"

Krystal stepped forward, "I need to speak with you Bill. It's urgent."

Bill stood up, "My ready room. Commander Donovan you have the conn."

A powerfully built Doberman nodded and took Bill's seat as the captain led the group into a room just off the bridge.

Krystal glanced around Bill's ready room, it was nicely furnished with a desk, three chairs, and a couch at the other end. A viewport behind the desk allowed for a view of the stars outside the ship. Bill took a seat behind his desk and asked, "Now, what's going on?"

Krystal stood in front of his desk refusing the seat that he offered her, she couldn't bring herself to sit down for something like this, instead she launched right into it. "Bill, we can't trust these people."

Bill quirked an eyebrow, "The Aurelians?"  
Krystal felt the frustration welling up inside her again. There was no reason that Bill or anyone else should be as aware of the situation as she was, but it was still annoying to have to explain everything. "Blast it they aren't Aurelians. They're Amanoi, they are dangerous, duplicitous, deceitful, practically insane."

Krystal saw Bill glance back at Fox, probably asking the silent question of where all this was coming from all of a sudden. Looking back at Krystal he said, "I take it you know them." It wasn't a question.

Krystal nodded, "Oh I know them. They are sworn enemies of Cerinia. We banished them centuries ago when they tried to take over our world. I'm almost certain they are responsible for my home worlds destruction. Bill, they cannot be trusted."  
"If you're so certain of this why didn't you come to me earlier? Why wait to voice your suspicions until we're two hours away and under escort?"

Krystal bit back a rather unladylike response, that frustration was turning into full blown anger. Didn't he trust her? Why not just accept what she was saying? She had never lied in her life. Krystal did her best to remember that Bill had only met her a day and a half ago, he didn't know her like Fox did. She had to be patient. Screaming at him wouldn't help. "Because I wasn't sure until I saw those ships. And I saw no reason to bother anyone until I was absolutely certain."

Bill sighed and leaned forward, clasping his hands on his desk he said, "Listen everyone, this is simple. I'm willing to believe you Krystal because frankly I don't trust anyone who has it as standard procedure to be invisible when they leave their system. But the simple fact of the matter is that I've been ordered to negotiate with them and at this point the last thing Corneria or Lylat needs is another enemy."

That was it, Krystal really couldn't hold herself back anymore. The idea that Bill was just going to proceed with the mission as if nothing had changed was infuriating. Even with the slim chance that they hadn't been responsible for Cerinia's destruction they had still murdered millions in the Great War. They were not a people to be trusted as far as they could be thrown. Letting out a low growl Krystal said, "And let me be perfectly clear, they are the enemy. They have been the enemy to everything my people and your people hold dear for the past three hundred years. They haven't revealed themselves to you until now, but when they revealed their intent to my people three hundred years ago millions died. If you trust them for even an instant you are dooming your people to slavery."  
Krystal could sense that her growling voice and her flattened ears were beginning to unnerve not just Bill but Fox and Fay as well. Then again maybe it would make them listen. And she couldn't help herself right now, she was angry, no she was enraged. These were Amanoi, the enemy. "Krystal..."

She heard Fox say it, felt him touch her shoulder and that was it, "WHAT? What are you going to tell me Fox? To calm down? Kazo! I have been calm this whole trip, I have been subjected to visions of death and destruction on my home world that I never wanted to have to see, and now I know why. The Amanoi are back." She swung back to Bill, "What did they tell you Bill? What did they tell Corneria? That they wanted an alliance? To work together in common cause?"

Bill nodded, "Something like that."

Krystal shook her head, "They're playing you."

Bill nodded again, "Perhaps. But my orders stand. I am to negotiate with them and if possible obtain an alliance with them. I'm sorry Krystal but whatever protests you have aren't going to matter. I have my orders from both general Hare and the prime minister. We're going through with this, and if possible we're going to make friends with them."

Krystal bit back a bit on her rage, though she was going to have a few choice words with Peppy at some point when they got back. When she finally spoke she did so slowly, doing her best to control her voice, though it actually made her sound more enraged than before. "I don't care what Peppy or the prime minister said. I will not help in a mission to become friends with the people who murdered my world."  
Bill sighed, "Then I'd like you to remain on board for the duration of this mission. Understood?"  
"Fine." Krystal turned and looked at Fox, she was done here. If she couldn't make them see reason she would just have to wait for them to come to their senses. "Take me back to our quarters?"

Fox nodded, "Sure."

Krystal managed to smile at Fay and not look like a crazy woman when she said, "It was wonderful to meet you Fay."

Krystal saw Fay smile in return, though he could tell the spaniel was feeling quite concerned. Fox was feeling the same way, Krystal could sense it. Although she knew she probably should she couldn't bring herself to feel embarrassed about the scene she had just made. There had been no way to avoid it. As soon as they were on the lift and heading back to their quarters Fox said, "Krystal, are you going to be all right?"

Krystal looked at him, she wanted to say yes, she wanted to say something, anything, that would make him feel better, but that would be lying. Krystal couldn't lie to Fox, not even to make him feel better. "No. "

Fox took her hands, "Is there anything I can do to change that? Anything at all?"

Krystal shrugged, "I don't know Fox. Just when you go to Aurelius, be careful."

Fox smiled, "Of course." He kissed her then. All of a sudden Krystal couldn't help herself, she shoved him against the wall and pressed herself against him. She kissed him with all the ferocity she had been feeling only moments ago. She let him go when the doors swished open and he said, looking a bit taken aback, "What was that?"  
Krystal began to lead him towards their quarters, she needed him, she needed to be close to him. She needed to be with someone who cared for her more deeply than anyone. "I lied. There is one thing you can do for me."

Fox blushed a bit but replied, "If it'll help."  
Krystal blushed as well, "I didn't mean to be so aggressive. I just...need to be close to you right now. I need to be with you."

The doors to their quarters closed and Fox wrapped her in his arms, she immediately felt safe again as she melted into him. "I'll always be here for you."  
Krystal kissed him again and then said, "I know. It's why I love you. Now, enough talk."

Fox smiled, "Whatever you say."

* * *

Roughly an hour later Krystal lay in bed, cuddled up to Fox, her chest heaving, her fur damp with sweat, and one of his arms around her. "I love you."

Fox smiled at her and replied, "I love you too. Are you feeling any better?"  
Krystal smiled back and ran a hand the through the soft tuft of white fur on his chest. In truth she was feeling much better, she felt as if her troubles had simply melted away. Where she had been emotionally charged after seeing the ships and being in Bill's ready room, now she felt a bit drained, but in a good way. "Yes, lots. You really are wonderful when I need you."

Fox pressed her a bit closer, "Thanks. I'm always here for you, whenever you need me."

Krystal kissed him on the cheek, "Good. Now you should get ready, we'll be at Aurelius in less than an hour. And I doubt Bill will let you go down on a diplomatic visit in the nude."

Fox chuckled, "No I doubt he would. Think I should shower?"

Krystal made a show of sniffing the air, in truth she had no problem with the scent of musk and exertion he was exuding right now. But then she was his lover, and it was doubtful that many other people would get the same thrill out of the scent that she did. "Probably. I like this scent on you, but I doubt the others will."

Fox nodded, "Shower it is then. Are you going to be all right though without me?"

Krystal frowned, in truth she would like nothing more than for Fox to stay here in bed with her for however long this mission was going to last, but that wasn't an option. "I'll be fine. I managed for over twenty years of my life without you around. I can take care of myself."

Fox kissed her, "All right. But if you need me..."

Krystal nodded, "I'll let you know."

Fox got out of bed then, and Krystal whistled a bit at his backside. She knew it made Fox blush. He looked back at her and she said, "Sorry, you just have such a cute butt."

Fox shook his head, "Good lord." He then headed for the shower.

When the door closed behind him Krystal sighed and laid back on the bed. Seeing as she wasn't going to be leaving the ship she was going to have to do something with her time. Meditation was the most likely, maybe she would spend some time in the simulators, and she could talk to Fay. It wouldn't be so bad.

A few minutes later Fox was out of the shower and was dressing himself. She watched from the bed and laughed when she chose a green shirt, pants, and his khaki vest. "What?" He asked.

"That's what you're wearing to a diplomatic function?"

Fox shrugged, "I don't have a flashy dress uniform so..."  
Krystal shrugged, "Oh don't worry, I could care less how you look for these people." She saw that look of concern on his face, "If you give me that look one more time I will make you regret it McCloud. I'll be fine."

Fox smiled a bit, "How will you make me regret it?"

Krystal rolled her eyes, "I have my methods. Now get going, I'm sure everyone is eager to see you. And Bill probably has last minute etiquette points to go over with you guys. Especially since you're brining Falco."  
Fox smiled and sat down on the bed, "All right, but I'll be back. And I expect you to have behaved."

Krystal pulled him to her and replied, "Have I ever been a bad girl?"

Fox just smiled even more and kissed her. When he left Krystal simply laid back on the bed and sighed. She would talk to Fay and meditate and fly in the simulators later. For now all she wanted to do was sleep.

* * *

_"Krystal?"_

_ Krystal looked across the beach to see her sister running over to her. "Fiora? What are you doing here?"_

_ Her sister stopped in front of her and replied. "It's not as if I want to be here."_

_ Krystal felt confused, "Why wouldn't you want to be at the beach on a wonderful day like this?"_

_ "Because," Her sister said, "We aren't really on a beach. I just chose this place so that bastard black fox won't realize that this isn't just a memory of home."  
Krystal looked at her sister, "Are you all right?"_

_ "No Krystal, I am not." Her sister looked frustrated, "I am being held by an Amanoi mind violator and have been tortured into giving up the location of the Heart of Cerinia. So no, I'm not exactly all that bloody good at the moment."_

_ It dawned on Krystal then that her sister was communicating with her telepathically. "Where are you?"_

_ Fiora shrugged, "A world. Decius called it Aurelius Prime."_

_ Krystal's eyes widened, "I'm near there. Tell me exactly where you are, I can help."_

_ Fiora smiled, "Take my thoughts. And when you get down here find Decius. He has magenta and black fur. He can help you."_

_ Krystal linked her mind with her sister, she could sense exactly where Fiora was. "I'll find you."  
Fiora smiled, "I know you will. See you soon Krystal."_

Krystal woke with a start. She looked around, the room was unchanged. She sniffed the air, she could smell Fox, but the scent was hours old. Fiora, Fiora was down there. Being held beneath the palace. Krystal got out of bed. She had to go. She would go. Then a thought struck her, how was she going to do this? Not on her own that was certain. She would need to get Bill's permission to go down there, which meant she had to wait for him to return. And she would need Fox. But she wanted to go now, she wanted to help her sister. She didn't want to just sit and wait. "Kazo." Sitting back down on the bed she sighed, it didn't matter she would have to wait. She promised herself however that the moment Fox and the rest returned she was going to go straight to them and demand to go on the next trip down. "Whether they like it or not."

* * *

A/N: Well some good stuff happened in this chapter. And this chapter was a pain in the posterior to write, mainly since I was too dense to realize it should be from Krystal's perspective until a few days ago. Silly me. Anyways leave please leave a review since I always want to know what you guys are thinking. Oh and just in case you were wondering what Kazo means it's a Cerinian swear word I made up, it has no direct translation, that's how bad it is. Well, see you guys on the next update!

-general whitefur


	7. Chapter VII First Meeting

CHAPTER VII

FIRST MEETING

The room that Fox, Bill, Falco, and Slippy were ushered into was nothing short of impressive. The room was circular with a roof supported by columns along the outer edges, in between each of the columns were stain glass windows. Each of the windows seemed to depict what Fox assumed were either prior leaders of Aurelius or other important figures. Arrayed in four distinct sections starting in front of the columns were banks of wooden, backless chairs. In the center the floor was made of colored marble, half blue and the other half green, each side with a bright star shape opposite each other. Fox studied the floor for a moment, Krystal had said that these people were the mortal enemies of the Cerinians, and the coloring seemed fitting. The green, from what Fox had been able to tell in the three hours they had spent being shown around the city, seemed to be the Aurelian's signature color. And blue, well Krystal was blue, and she had once told him that Cerinians held the color blue to be sacred. Was it possible that the two colors on the floor meant something, symbolized the divide between the Aurelians, the Amanoi, and their enemy?

"Nice place." Falco said whistling. "Good place for the seat of the government."

Bill nodded, "It is impressive."

"I am glad that you approve." The voice came a bit suddenly, but for that it wasn't exactly startling. The voice was soft, smooth, every syllable seeming to be almost calculated to put a person at ease. Fox looked up and saw a black furred fox, he looked about in his middle fifties, and was wearing what appeared to be a green tunic and trousers, a leather sash with several symbols adorning it rested across his chest. The black fox was followed by a younger looking vulpine with magenta fur and black streaks. The younger one was dressed in a similar fashion, though his sash appeared slightly less decorated. "This has been the seat of the Aurelian senate since it was established."

"And how long ago was that?" Asked Fox before Bill could speak.

The black furred fox smiled, "I am pleased to see you are interested. It was about three hundred years ago."

_Three hundred years ago, Krystal's story really is beginning to check out._ Fox thought to himself.

Fox then caught the magenta furred tod looking at him, as if in answer to what Fox had just thought the tod nodded ever so slightly. Fox realized then that if these people had originally come from Cerinia it was entirely possible that they too were telepathic.

Bill spoke then, "I take it then that your world, like mine, has a democratic tradition?"  
The black furred fox nodded once again, "In some ways yes. I, Marcellus, am Imperator, elected by the senate to rule with absolute power. I assure you though I am no mere dictator, no Imperator has ever lasted very long without popular support."

_Or the support of a fleet of cloaked ships. _Fox mulled. He had heard dictators claim popular support, it often meant the support of an army powerful enough that it brooked no opposition.

"I assure you commander McCloud I would never use force to coerce my people into following my rule." Marcellus said.

Fox started and the others in the room looked equally taken aback, Fox quickly composed himself and replied, "I'm sure. I take it you are telepathic."

"Quite so." Marcellus replied. "I apologize for reading your thoughts, if you wish I will make sure to respect your privacy in future. I can tell that this...bothers you somewhat."  
Falco huffed, "You think?"

Both Fox and Bill gave Falco a chiding look, it would be best not irritate the people they were trying to negotiate with. Bill spoke, "We are simply not used to telepaths where we come from. Though a bit of privacy would certainly be appreciated."  
Marcellus spread his hands in a placating gesture, "Of course. Now, what is it we should discuss on our first meeting?"  
After that Bill began the process of making a first contact for Corneria, something Fox knew he had been wanting to do since he was six years old. First contacts were always exciting, but they were also extremely dangerous, one misstep could mean the difference between successfully befriending a new people and making them a mortal enemy. Fox had a feeling that this one was even more dangerous, and that the odds of a happy ending were likely against them. _In that you are doubtless correct Fox McCloud. _

Fox glanced towards Marcellus, but the black fox was busy discussing the finer points of cultural exchange with Bill. His gaze moved over to the magenta furred fox next to the Imperator. The tod nodded. _Well that's a shame. Who are you?_

_ Allow me to introduce myself, I am Decius. I was on Corneria not too long ago, I gave Krystal the phial of hair. _

Fox did his best to keep a neutral expression on his face. _That was you?_

_ Indeed._

_ And does Marcellus know we're having this conversation?_

_ Unlikely, he cannot read my thoughts, and he was honest when he said he would not read yours. He never outright lies in the first meeting. Is Krystal all right?_

_ Why do you care?_

_ Because I saw her get stabbed, and she is very dear to someone who is very dear to me. _

_ And who might that be?_

_ Her sister. She is here, being held five levels below us. She needs her sister. Can you bring her here?_

_ Maybe. But why?_

_ Suffice it to say it is of great importance. Please trust me Fox McCloud, this is a matter of survival, and for more than just Fiora._

Fox felt the fur on the back of his neck stiffen. _What do you mean?_

_ I can't say, not now. _

_ Then how do I trust you?_

_ Take my thoughts._

Fox felt the other tod's mind, felt his concern, his love for Krystal's sister, and his conviction that there was a danger and that Krystal was somehow the key to countering it.

_All right. I'll see if I can bring her along next time._

_ Good. Meet me in the city, on Jolan Street tomorrow._

. Fox felt the other's mind give him a location before the connection severed. Glancing absentmindedly at the chronometer on his wrist comm. Fox noticed that the meeting had now gone on for more than an hour. He needed to see Krystal. Walking over to Bill he tapped him on the shoulder and whispered, "Need to talk to you. Now."

Bill nodded, "Excuse me for a moment Imperator. If you don't mind?"  
Marcellus shook his head, "Of course, you have your duties. In fact why don't we call a recess to our talks. Perhaps we can resume at the same time tomorrow?"  
Bill nodded again, "That sounds just fine."

"Very well." Marcellus rose, "We will speak again tomorrow."

After he and the magenta and black furred fox had left Bill said, "What is it Fox? I was just beginning to enjoy myself."

Fox adopted a serious look and tone. "Krystal's sister is here, and being held against her will. I need to bring Krystal down here tomorrow."

Bill quirked an eyebrow, "Was that why you were staring at the fox next to Marcellus?"

Fox bit back a curse, he had hoped the connection hadn't been that obvious. "Yes."

Bill nodded. "Let's get back to the ship and then discuss this. Come on."

* * *

"Will Krystal please report to the briefing room on deck seven."

Krystal eyes drifted open at the sound of the announcement on her quarter's comm. line. Getting up from where she had been meditating she hit the respond button. "On my way."

As she walked out of her quarters and took the lift to deck seven she wondered who would be calling her to the briefing room. Then she felt a familiar presence, Fox. She smiled a bit, it was good to know that he had made it back safely, she had worried just a bit.

The lift doors opened and Krystal quickly walked through the corridor to the briefing room. When she entered she found Bill, Fox, Falco, and Slippy sitting around the table. Fox got up and smiled, "Hey Krystal."

Krystal smiled back and put her arms around him, giving him a sound hug before sitting in the empty chair next to him. "How did the meeting go? We at war yet?"  
Bill grimaced a bit, "No not yet. And hopefully never. But Fox found out something you'll probably want to know."

Krystal looked at Fox, "Oh?"  
Fox nodded, "I met a man named Decius. We had a conversation, telepathically, he told me your sister..."

"Is being held on Aurelius Prime. And that he wants you to meet him with me so that we can try and rescue her." Krystal finished for him.

The whole table stared at her in silence for a moment, then Fox said, "You must have read my mind."

"No," Krystal said, "My sister contacted me while you were gone, she said much the same thing that Decius told you. In fact I was prepared to insist that I be allowed to go down on the next mission."  
"Oh." Fox replied. He looked at Bill, "What do you think Bill?"  
Bill frowned, "Personally I don't like the idea of a rescue mission while we are in the middle of negotiations with these people."

Krystal jumped in, "Bill this is a much more serious situation than you may realize, it goes beyond a simple desire to rescue my sister from these people."  
"Pray tell." Bill said motioning with his hands.

Krystal took a breath before saying, "Fiora told me that she had been tortured into revealing the whereabouts of a very ancient part of my people's and the Amanoi's history. You see my people were not always telepathic, that ability was given to us many thousands of years ago when we discovered an ancient device that we have since called the Heart of Cerinia."

Slippy interrupted, "A device? Like a machine?"

Krystal shook her head, "No not exactly. The Heart of Cerinia is more akin to a Spell Stone than anything else, but rather than absorb energy it creates it. More specifically it radiates mental energy, over the course of several years it caused all those who were exposed to it to begin to develop increased mental abilities. These passed down to their children and within a few generations, at least according to the accounts that most of my people regarded as myths, all Cerinians became telepathic to one degree or another."  
"What happened to it?" Asked Falco, Krystal thought he looked surprisingly interested.

"No one is really sure. According to the myths and legends surrounding it the Heart was hidden when it became clear that it's power was far beyond our control. It can be used to influence people, influence them into following whoever controls it. The majority of my people viewed the level of power it gave to the people who held it as too much for their own good. The Amanoi split off after the Heart was lost, and in addition to their ideas of telepathic control, something they would call mental openness, they have also prayed for the Heart's return into their hands. It seems now however that they are searching for it once again, and that they have found it through my sister."

The table was silent until Bill asked, "What would happen if they did find it?"  
Krystal pursed her lips, "Knowing the Amanoi they would use it as a means to enslave anyone they came across. With the Heart in their possession their mental abilities would be unmatched, they could make you think something you would never think normally and yet you would be convinced you had always thought that way. The Heart is a temptation, a means to power, and the Amanoi have never been shy about their desire for greater power. They tried to control my world and failed, but if they have the Heart I doubt we could ever hope to stop them."  
Krystal looked around the table, she could see that Fox believed her, so did Falco and Slippy, they had known her long enough to have learned to trust her implicitly, then her eyes settled on Bill. As she watched him she extended her telepathy the slightest bit, she didn't read his mind, she just confirmed the feelings she sensed from him. He was clearly feeling as if he were in a very difficult situation, and Krystal agreed, on the one hand he had his orders to try and form an alliance with these people, on the other he couldn't afford to ignore a threat of this magnitude. Bill reached a decision. "Fine. Go get Fiora. But do it quietly."

Krystal felt a smile come to her lips, Bill really was an honorable man, but more than that he was an intelligent and trusting man. Bill looked at Falco and Slippy, "You two are going to come with me to the negotiations tomorrow, and while we're there let's try and make sure this whole thing lasts just as long as possible. They may need the time."

Falco and Slippy nodded. The group stood after Bill dismissed them, as they began to file out Krystal walked over to Bill and said, "Thank you Bill. I don't mean to put you in such a difficult position..."

Bill waved the comment away, "Don't worry," He smiled, "I always wanted to be captain of a ship, and being a captain or any commanding officer means making tough and difficult decisions. Part of the territory. Besides I owe Fox for more than a few things, I'll consider this a return favor for him."

Krystal smiled and walked out to catch up with Fox. Tomorrow she would rescue Fiora, tomorrow was going to be a good day.

* * *

Decius stood in his father's office, or rather one his father's offices. Marcellus sat behind the large desk, fingers steepled, considerate. Decius spoke, "They know about Fiora."

Marcellus glanced at him, when he was not projecting his public image as amicable and always willing to compromise his father was one of the most scheming men Decius had ever known. Decius knew that his father tended to spend days locked in his offices thinking, planning, considering. He often wondered what, but his question was often answered when a senator or military commander was replaced after a sudden disappearance. Marcellus tolerated no opposition of any sort, and he could know the thoughts of anyone under him, anyone except his son. "The fox who asked how long ago we established the senate?" Decius nodded. "Curious." Decius waited.  
"Did you sense a presence on his mind. A link?"

Decius nodded, "A mind link to another, yes. A Cerinian."

Marcellus was silent for a moment, his mind working. "They will attempt a rescue."

Decius nodded again, "Of that I have no doubt."

"You will allow them to get to Fiora."

Decius quirked an eyebrow, "And will I allow them to succeed?"

Marcellus shook his head, "No. The other Cerinian I want, the fox, McCloud was his name, allow him to escape."

"So that he will lure the others into following us."

Marcellus smiled a bit, "Exactly. They will follow us and be the first to witness our new found power, the Heart."

"It shall be done Imperator." Decius replied. With the conversation clearly over Decius left his father's office. As he walked down the halls of the Imperial Senate building he considered the fact that his father was playing into his hands perfectly. His father had told him to do exactly what Decius wanted, to capture Krystal and let Fox go so that Fox and his Cornerian friends would follow them to the Heart. Of course his father didn't realize that Decius was doing this so that he, Fiora, and Krystal would stand a chance of stopping him. According to Fiora Krystal was the strongest telepath born on Cerinia since the departure of the Amanoi, with her and her sister at his side he would finally be able to match Marcellus's own formidable mental power, and overcome him. Maybe.

Something inside Decius wondered at the fact that all of this was going so according to the plan he had envisioned. His father was not a stupid man, nor was he blind. Marcellus was clever, and above all deceitful and devious, more than willing to accept a defeat if it served his purpose. Decius began to wonder if it could be that he himself was actually playing into his father's hands in bringing Krystal with them. Perhaps it would be better to find a way to get them to follow without capturing Krystal. But if he were to do it any other way it would mean compromising his position with his father, with the other Amanoi. They already didn't trust him since he was unreadable. His father trusted him though, he had said so, but then Marcellus was no stranger to lying. Would he lie to his own son?

As the thoughts whirled through his mind he found that he had in fact walked down the flight of steps leading to Fiora's cell. He smiled a bit, Fiora would be able to help him. Opening the door he found her lying on the bed, a smile on her lips. "Decius. Is Krystal coming?"

Decius walked in, "She is. And so is Fox."

"And did you talk to your father?"  
Decius sat down next to her, "I did. He told me to capture her and let Fox go free. Just like we wanted him to."  
Fiora moved closer to him and put her arms around him, "Then what is it?"

"It's too easy. It feels like he shouldn't be playing into my hands so willingly but he is. I'm beginning to worry that he's up to something and we're going right along with him without knowing it."

Fiora pursed his lips, "Can we know for certain?"

"No." Decius said, "You can never know with him."

"And you yourself said that if this is going to have any chance he has to have Krystal here. He has to think she's within his power, not a challenge to it."

"Yes."

Fiora turned his muzzle toward hers, "Then we have to go through with this. We can't know what he's planning so we have to do our best to make sure our plan succeeds and his doesn't."

"You know what he'll do to Krystal right?" Decius asked.

Fiora frowned, "Torture her I assume." Her voice was soft.

"He'll try to break her. Like he tried with you."

Fiora's frown turned to a smile, "He didn't succeed with me, he won't succeed with her. Don't worry, Krystal is strong. And I'll make sure she knows what to do."

Decius nodded, "All right. I'd better go and make sure everything is in place. I love you."

"I love you too."

Decius left her cell then, schemes and counter schemes, he would be happy when this was all done and he could leave, until then he would have to try and out scheme a man who schemed for no other reason than that he found it enjoyable. _Father against son, let's hope I really do know what I'm doing, and that he doesn't know what he's getting into._

* * *

A/N: Well I certainly took quite awhile getting you this chapter and for that I do apologize. I will be doing my best to update this story as much as possible but at this point I would rather not offer any sort of guarantee that that would be a weekly event.

Well that said I of course would love to know what you guys think of this chapter, and just to let you guys know we are certainly approaching a turning point in the events of the story so I do hope you will keep reading. Until next time...

-general whitefur


	8. Chapter VIII Jolan Street

CHAPTER VIII

JOLAN STREET

Fox and Krystal looked around Jolan Street. It was near the Aurelian senate building, the domed roof of which could be seen off in the distance. Fox noted the people that were walking up and down the sidewalks, as well as the occasional vehicle to travel down the road, most of the inhabitants of the area appeared to be brown furred male vulpines or brightly furred vixens. The two of them had attracted a modicum of attention, mainly just curious looks by people who noted the difference in their pelt colorings, but no one had actually questioned them. The owner of the small cafe they were sitting in had according to Krystal been astonished when they walked in, though he had hidden it well. "Why do you think the owner of this place was so shocked when we walked in?"

Krystal glanced at him from over the rim of the tea cup she was holding and said, "Amanoi."

"I don't follow."

Krystal took a sip of her tea and then set it down, "They think we're Amanoi."

Fox looked incredulous, that didn't make any sense, "I thought you said all of these people were Amanoi. Why would they be shocked at an Amanoi walking in the door?"

Krystal pursed her lips, "Seems I was wrong about that. I think these people are actually from this world. Natives. The Amanoi, which I might add would be a typical move on their part, seem to have established themselves as a ruling class."

Fox thought about it for a moment. If the Amanoi had been fleeing Cerinia all those centuries ago and come across this world why would they have chosen to land when the planet was inhabited? Fox knew for a fact that there were several vacant inhabitable worlds in nearby systems. In fact three hundred years ago they could have taken Katina or Fortuna in the Lylat System and no one would have been any the wiser, Corneria hadn't started colonizing the Lylat System until two centuries ago. "Why would they choose an inhabited planet to take refuge on though? If I were running I would have gone somewhere unpopulated."  
Krystal smiled a bit, "That's what you or I would have done Fox. But we _are not_" she added the 'are not' telepathically so as not to be overheard, "Amanoi. These people were doubtlessly primitive when the Amanoi stumbled on them, they are not telepathic, and they would have found starships, energy weapons, not to mention telepathic abilities awe inspiring. It's a wonder the Amanoi aren't worshipped as gods by these people."

Fox nodded, "They saw an opportunity to regain some of their former power and took it."  
"Mmhmm."

Fox huffed, "Lovely people."  
Krystal smiled mock pleasantly, "Aren't they? Though the Aurelians do make a good cup of tea I'll give them that."

They sat in silence for another few minutes. Fox glanced at his wrist comm. and noted the time. By now Bill was probably explaining to the Imperator why one of the group, Fox, was absent. Fox hoped that the Amanoi dictator's telepathy didn't call out that lie immediately.

"Fox."

Fox sat up a bit, Krystal was looking at something or someone behind him, "What?"

"Decius is here." She bobbed her head in the general direction of where she was looking.

Fox turned in his seat and saw a tod with an unmistakable fur pattern, magenta with black streaks. "Yep. We should go."

The two of them got up, on their way out Fox asked, "How much for the tea?"

The proprietor of the cafe, an older vulpine with flecks of grey in his pelt bowed and said, "No charge for Amanoi."

Fox was about to protest and insist on paying something when Krystal grabbed him by the hand and half dragged him out of the little building. "What, what did I do?"

Krystal looked at him, "Rulers do not insist on paying their subjects. You don't have telepathy so I forgive you for not noticing the fact that he was shocked you even asked. Trust me, the fact that he can say two Amanoi drank tea in his establishment in enough for him."  
"She is quite right."

Fox jumped a bit at the sound of the voice coming from behind him. He turned and saw Decius standing there. The tod smiled a bit and said, "I apologize for startling you. But Krystal is very right, an Amanoi does not pay a commoner for tea. Or much of anything for that matter. What they give us they give us in tribute or because it is their duty."

Fox flicked his tail, "What a wonderful system if you're an Amanoi."

Decius's ears folded back, "Indeed. Please do not misunderstand me, I have no sympathies with the other Amanoi. And I think a world that has made you used to repaying those who give you things is a world I would like to know. But come, we should be heading for the Senate building."

Fox and Krystal followed Decius as he led them down the street towards the senate building. Krystal asked, "Decius, why did you pick this street to meet us on? Any reason?"

Decius nodded, "Yes. Despite the proximity to the senate house this area of the city rarely sees Amanoi in it. People here see any pelt other than the types they are used to, brown for the males, pink, magenta and yellow for the females, and they automatically assume they are in the presence of my people. I figured it would be safest for you to meet me someplace where you would be taken for rulers, people would keep a respectful distance and not ask you for currency. After all I would be surprised if you actually had Aurelian currency."

Fox's eyes widened at that and he blushed a bit. "No we don't."

Fox saw Krystal smile a bit, " What exactly were you going to pay that man with Foxy?"

"I really have no idea. I guess we were lucky you caught me, and that the Amanoi don't pay their bills."

Decius glanced at him, "Yes, yes you were very lucky."

As they came closer to the senate building Decius led them off the main road and onto a side street. The side street was much narrower and, even in the day time, rather poorly lit. Fox's nose twitched at a the stale scent of fear.

Decius looked back at them and said, "This is the other reason that I had you meet me on Jolan Street. This back way has a tunnel that leads directly to the dungeons beneath the senate house. Hence the smell."

Fox and Krystal glanced at each other, Krystal asked, "Is it a common occurrence for people to be dragged off in the middle of the night to rot in prison?"  
Decius's ears folded back once again, "More common than I would care to admit. Dissent is not tolerated, and our Ministry of Internal Security is rather...aggressive in making sure that dissent against Amanoi of any sort does not go unpunished, or have a chance to spread."

"So you kidnap people." Fox said. It was a statement not a question, Fox knew all about what authoritarian regimes could be like. The planet Venom in Lylat was renowned for a lack of basic respect for the rights of sentient beings.

Decius nodded, "Yes. Though the luckier ones are simply murdered in their beds. The deed chalked up to some random incident, perhaps a jilted lover or something of the sort."

Krystal growled. "Typical. The Amanoi haven't changed a bit in three centuries."

Decius stopped in front of what appeared to be a brick wall. The brick, brown and aged looked no different from the brick walls that surrounded the three vulpines on both sides. Approaching it Decius laid a hand on it, a moment later a bright light flashed over his hand and the wall disappeared.

"A hologram?" Fox inquired.

"Yes." Answered Decius. "I'll go first. Follow me closely though, and if we do happen to run into anyone let me do the talking." He glanced at Krystal, "And try to keep that simmering hostility in check Krystal, keep in mind there may be other telepaths nearby."

Krystal blushed a bit but her voice had an edge to it when she said, "I'll try."

Fox and Krystal followed Decius into a narrow tunnel just wide enough for three to walk abreast of each other. Decius led the way however, Fox and Krystal trailed behind by a few feet. The holographic wall behind them shimmered briefly as it reactivated before becoming as solid looking as the actual bricks around it. Not that it wasn't, advanced holograms often used force-fields that could mimic the consistency of whatever it was the hologram was supposed to be.

The tunnel they were walking through was dark, illuminated by only dimly glowing light strips along the walls and on the floor. The stale scent of fear was a suddenly stronger inside, likely owing to the claustrophobic and not very well ventilated nature of the tunnel. The scent was making Fox's tail flick back and forth uneasily, he didn't want to imagine the screaming and crying individuals who had come through this place before him. "Decius?"

"Yes?"

"What happens to people who go to this prison of yours?"

Decius growled a bit, "It's not mine."

Fox pursed his lips, "Sorry, it's a figure of speech. I mean to say what happens to people who go to this prison? Do they come out?"  
"Yes they do. But not as the same people they were when they came inside."

Fox didn't like the sound of that, "What do you mean?"  
Decius glanced back at them, "During the time they spend in prison an Amanoi will come to them every day and torture them until they either break and become a mindlessly loyal Aurelian again, or they slip into a coma and are then killed."

"Tortured? Things like water boarding, the rack?" Even as he asked Fox had a feeling the answer wouldn't be either of those things. Or anything like them.

Decius answered, "No. An Amanoi will force his mind into them, they'll use memories, painful memories, and use them to cause extreme emotional distress, or if the subject doesn't have memories that the Amanoi thinks are painful enough he will create entirely original scenarios. The use of loved ones is a particularly popular one."

Fox glanced at Krystal who said, "We'd best not talk too much more about this, that simmering hostility is in danger or becoming a raging volcano."

"Then we shall not talk about it." Responded Decius.

The three traveled the rest of the way in silence. After several minutes they emerged out of the tunnel and into a large room. The room was empty except for two brown furred Aurelians wearing green tunics and leggings, each one had dull grey metal staff in hand, the end of which glowed slightly with repressed energy. The two were standing in front of a large door which Fox guessed led into the prison proper. Decius said to them, "These two are here to see prisoner Fiora. They have the authority of the Imperator."

One of the Aurelians nodded, "We were informed, you may enter legate Decius." After saying that the same Aurelian punched a code into a small panel by the door and the door swung open.

Decius led them in, sparing hardly a glance at the two guards. Once the door had closed Fox asked, "Legate?"

Decius nodded, "My military rank. I command the fighter wing of the Imperial Guard."

"A pilot then?"

Decius smiled a bit, "And a damn good one if I say so myself. Now come, Fiora is on the level below us."

Fox glanced at Krystal as they continued on, she was breathing rapidly and her tail was flicking around, her ears back in agitation. Fox couldn't remember ever having seen Krystal like this, he could almost feel the waves of anger pouring off of her, though at the same time he thought he felt an equal amount of anticipation and anxiety. If it weren't for the fact that Krystal was seemingly feeling so many things at once Fox would have said she was actually happy to be on her way to seeing her sister.

Realizing then that the two had come down unarmed Fox stopped Decius and said, "We're going to need weapons. We came down unarmed."

Decius nodded, "Of course. The guards would have confiscated any weapons after all. Over here." Decius walked over to a panel in the wall and pressed his thumb against it. The panel slid aside and he handed each of them one of the dull grey staffs. "Do you know how to use a staff weapon?"

"Yeah, so long as it operates similar to a Cerinian weapon."

"Identical operation." Decius answered.

Fox saw Krystal's look as she took hers, she seemed...disgusted. "No attention to aesthetics, made of a common metal alloy, charged with..." She ringed her hand around the top of the staff, a small slightly cloudy looking crystal fell into her hand, "Lithium infused quartz. Gods this weapon is shit Decius."

Decius shrugged, "We don't really give our subjects the good weapons."

Krystal replaced the crystal in the staff and locked it in. "Obviously. Come on let's go."

The three went a bit further down the hall to a door. Decius opened it and the three descended a flight of stairs which Fox noticed started several levels up. "No elevators?"

Decius shook his head, "No. The stairs give more of a sense of being led down into an abyss. It's more frightening for the prisoners, and it makes them all the less likely to be prepared mentally for what will happen to them."

Fox frowned, "Have I said that I don't much like your people?"

Decius smiled, "I think that makes three of us."

The stairs ended and a moment later Decius was opening a cell door. Inside Fox saw a blood red vixen, and, except for a slightly longer muzzle and longer hair, she was the spitting image of Krystal. Krystal for her part recognized her immediately and shoved both Fox and Decius aside as she ran into the cell, tears streaming from her eyes, saying "Fiora! Fiora!"

Fox smiled as Krystal hugged her sister, then he looked at Decius. "So, when does the double cross happen?"  
Decius met his eyes, "Perceptive. Right about now."

There was the clattering of footsteps and a resounding bang as Decius kicked the cell door closed. Fox looked behind him and saw half a dozen Aurelian guards enter the room, staffs quickly being aimed at him. Decius asked, "How did you know?"

Fox aimed his staff at Decius and squeezed, the staff sputtered and died. "I've handled these before, if Krystal weren't so distracted she would have seen it too. These weapons you gave us are dead." Decius nodded. "Now I have a question for you: why?"  
Decius shrugged, "My father told me too." _Trust me this is not what you think._

"Daddy's boy huh?" _What do you mean? Looks like I'm about to get shot in the back and Krystal is going to be tortured with her sister._

"When the Imperator speaks we obey."_Did Krystal tell you about the Heart of Cerinia?_

"Got you all wrapped around his finger doesn't he?" _Yes. Why?_

"Guards, we will escort him to the senate chambers where my father is. Take him." _Fiora and I need Krystal for this, so we can overcome my father. Krystal is the most powerful telepath we have encountered in centuries. My father has to believe he has her has his captive, he'll think he has her in his power._

Fox felt strong hands take him by the arms as the staff weapon was ripped from his grasp. _Won't he?_

The group, Decius in the lead, walked out to the stairs and began ascending them, _Only partially. Fiora was able to resist him and make him think he had broken her, if Fiora can do that then Krystal can as well._

_ You sure about that?_

_ Yes. Krystal has nearly three times the mental power her sister does. Four times as much as me. She may be even with my father. She can do this Fox. You trust her don't you?_

Fox growled, _Of course I do. I love her damn it. And I'll..._

_ FOX!_

Fox's eyes widened at the sound of Krystal's telepathy calling for him. _Krystal, it's all right. Stay with your sister, she can explain it. I think._

_ Fox, please, come back! I can't get out and this staff doesn't work. Help me!_

Fox shut his eyes tightly, he was going to kill someone over this. _Krystal, this was all part of the plan apparently. Fiora was in on it, I'll be fine. Stay with her. I'll come for you don't worry._

_ Fox I'm frightened. _

Fox did his best to project an aura of calm back through the link he was sharing with Krystal, a link that had seemingly silenced Decius, but he knew he failed miserably. He himself was feeling a little terrified at the moment. _Krystal, please trust me. And trust your sister. It'll be all right. This will work out. _

_ Promise me you'll come back for me though._

_ I promise. _

_ All right. I love you._

Fox smiled a bit, _I love you too._

The connection severed just as Decius pushed open a pair of doors. Fox's eyes widened when he saw that the doors had led directly to the senate chamber. _Your senate has direct access to the prison?_

Decius glanced back at him for a second before replying, _Sometimes Amanoi are not always loyal. Now just trust me and you'll get out of here. _

Fox looked over and saw Bill, Falco, and Slippy. All three of them were looking profoundly worried at the sight of him. Marcellus looked over and said, "What is the meaning of this Decius?"  
Decius walked over and stood in front of his father, "Fox and a Cerinian vixen named Krystal attempted to break Fiora out of prison. We caught them however. Krystal is in a cell with her sister, I brought Fox to see you."

Marcellus's gaze switched over to Bill, when he spoke he did so slowly, his voice dripping venom, "What is the meaning of this?"  
Bill to his credit met the Imperator's gaze head on, "Fox and Krystal became aware that you were holding Krystal's sister. Obviously these two decided to take matters into their own hands and attempt a rescue."  
"Bill..." Falco began to speak.

Bill looked at him and said under his breath, "Shut up Falco. Play along."

Falco went quiet. Fox watched as Marcellus considered this, "I see."

Bill said, "If I may request that they be returned to us I will see to their punishments for insubordination personally."

Marcellus shook his head, "I appreciate the gesture but I cannot allow both to go free. Commander McCloud will be returned to you, Krystal on the other hand is Cerinian, I will keep her."

Bill looked shocked, "On what grounds? Her status as a Cerinian shouldn't make a difference, she is a Cornerian citizen. I'm afraid I must demand her return."

Marcellus shook his head again, "Her status as a citizen of your world makes little difference to me captain. Cerinians are enemies of my state. Had I known she was on your ship I would have ordered her to either leave or be given over into custody immediately. That being said she will remain with me. Feel free to file whatever protests you wish captain, I doubt your superiors will wish to provoke an incident over a single vixen."

Fox was doing his best not try and get away from his guards and rip the black furred fox's throat out. Bill said, "I will consult with my superiors nevertheless in the hopes that they will demand her release."

Marcellus nodded, "It's your prerogative captain." He looked over at the guards, "Let him go."

The guards released Fox. Doing his best to remain calm he joined Bill, Falco, and Slippy. Marcellus then spoke, "I should also inform you that these negotiations will have to postponed. A matter of some urgency outside the home system has come up that will require my personal attention. I will be leaving tomorrow." The Imperator stood up, "Good day gentlemen."

Marcellus walked out and Fox glared daggers at him the entire way. When the doors shut Fox looked at Bill. "Let's get back to the ship. I'll explain everything once we're away from that bastard's telepathy."

Bill nodded, "All right. I can't say I disagree with the sentiment of wanting to get the hell out of here."

As they made their way back to the waiting shuttle Falco asked, "Is Krystal going to be all right?"

"They won't hurt her will they?" Slippy added.

Fox sighed, "I wish I could say she'll be all right, but I don't know guys. I just don't know."

* * *

A/N: I'm back on schedule! Feels good. With the end of this chapter we are getting into the final act of the story, and with that in mind I will make all possible efforts to remain on track with the weekly updates. As always I hope to know what you think of the chapter so please leave a review, they always help keep me motivated to continue writing! Until next time...

-general whitefur


	9. Chapter IX The Future

**READ AUTHORS NOTE IT'S IMPORTANT THIS TIME!**

**A/N:**OK well hopefully that got your attention. This chapter is very intense at moments. In fact you may have noticed that the rating for this story has been bumped up to M. This does not mean there are good things like lemons to look forward to in this chapter (Assuming you think lemons are good), what this means is that there is a scene of rape in this chapter. It is not exceedingly graphic however it is as I said a rather intense scene. You can of course skip over the scene if you so desire, I really wouldn't blame you for it, but this is just to warn you it is in this chapter after the break line. So for those of you who were afraid about what might happen to Krystal in this chapter...well Happy Halloween. It's probably going to be scary.

Now I've talked long enough so please read on...

-general whitefur

CHAPTER IX

THE FUTURE

Krystal looked at her sister, "Fiora, what the fuck is going on?"  
Fiora looked at her curiously, "Fuck?"  
Krystal smiled a bit, it was hard to stay mad when her sister, a person she had thought dead was sitting across from her asking what the word fuck meant. "It's a Cornerian curse word. One of the worst. I seem to have picked it up. But really, what is going on?"  
Fiora nodded, "I'll have to remember that word, seems like a good alternative to kazo. But you wanted to know what's going on." She leaned forward, "The answer is: a lot. Marcellus, the black furred fox, has found the Heart of Cerinia. Decius and I think he's going to use it to help carve out the empire the Amanoi he's always dreamt of. We intend to stop him, but we need your help."

Krystal sighed, "You know you could have told me all of this. You didn't have to let me get tricked into becoming his prisoner. I mean what kind of plan is that Fiora?"

Fiora shrugged though she looked a bit embarrassed. "The only one we have. We need him to think he has you within his power, that way he'll be overconfident. We want to destroy the Heart, but we can't let him think we're capable of it."  
Krystal glanced at her sister, the plan sounded all well and good but there was one glaringly obvious question. "Do you really even know how to destroy the Heart?" Krystal asked.  
Fiora nodded, "Yes. And you know too. It's just a memory that's buried very deeply inside of you. After I learned what Marcellus had taken from me I looked within myself, trying to find the answer. The three of us in concert can exert enough mental energy to make it destroy itself. Whoever created it must have known it was too powerful to be used wisely, it seems they made it so that telepathic suggestion could shatter it. And I mean literally shatter it."

Krystal thought about it. It could technically be possible. If the Heart was some sort of telepathically controllable device than it could be vulnerable to telepathic suggestion. Krystal knew for a fact that she could manipulate the minds of people, she had tried to do it once or twice when she had wanted something as a kit. Fiora had attempted it too, but her sister had never been able to do it successfully. Krystal on the other hand, she had been gifted when it came to telepathy, somehow she had always managed to convince the minds of others to do what she wanted. That is until her parents had scolded her harshly enough that she knew better than to try again. But the Heart was something else entirely. It was an object with such a powerful mental energy that it had given her people telepathy just because they had been present around it. How could she be expected to overcome something with that sort of mental power? Even with Fiora and Decius helping her it seemed impossible, and then there was another problem, "What about Marcellus?"  
Fiora grinned, "The conduit through which are mental energy will flow and be amplified. Soon as he gets his hands on it all we have to do is overpower his mental defenses, and have him tell it to shatter."  
Krystal's eyebrows shot up, what Fiora was proposing was...strange. It would mean taking control of someone else's mind, making them do something they didn't want to do, forcing them to bend to the will of another. It was a distinctly un-Cerinian plan. And yet something within Krystal told her it was the only way, that they were going to have to fight fire with fire. Still though, the plan seemed somewhat, simplistic. "You really believe it will be that simple? Fiora..."

Just then the doors to the cell opened. Krystal saw Fiora blanch and turn away, her sister quite literally curled into a ball and tucked her tail between her legs, ears down in total submission. Krystal had never seen Fiora, a woman as strong willed as any in the galaxy look so, cowed. Turning she saw the one man who had entered the cell. A black furred fox stood in the doorway, Marcellus. Krystal could sense waves of hostility and malice coming off of him. She was unimpressed. Hostility and malice were exactly what she had come to expect from an Amanoi. His people were famous for it. "So, you are the Amanoi who will be torturing me."

Marcellus stepped into the cell, he looked at her curiously, "Torture you? No my dear I never torture anyone."

Krystal looked at her sister, Fiora was either a very good actress all of a sudden or else she truly was as terrified and submissive as she felt and appeared. "Then why is my sister like that?" Krystal asked, turning her gaze back to Marcellus.

Marcellus sighed, "She chose to resist my questions when we first met. Forcibly opening and freeing a mind can be a taxing, even traumatizing, business for both parties involved. Perhaps one day she will learn not to fear me."

"Like me. I don't fear you." Krystal stood up and looked into Marcellus's eyes. Her gaze was steady, unafraid, defiant. Krystal had a feeling that it was a look that Marcellus was not used to seeing from someone in his presence.

Marcellus gazed back for a moment, she could feel his mind rubbing gently against hers, testing her claim. Krystal felt only an icy calm, an icy calm maintained by a raging hatred for the man who stood before her. A man who had tortured her sister, committed a violation of the mind so severe as to turn her sister into a sniffling ball of fur and submission hiding in the corner of a cell. Krystal wondered just how far gone her sister was, if she would ever be able to have the courage to stand up to this man, but for now when Fiora saw Marcellus all she felt was fear. Krystal hated Marcellus for that. And she always would.

"No," He said, "You do not fear me. You hate me. Rather unlike a typical Cerinian. Your kind have always lived in fear of us."

Krystal scoffed, "Feared you? We reviled you. You are the blight on our legacy, the one part of us we all wanted to forget ever existed."

Marcellus smiled wickedly, "I should thank you for that. Your forgetfulness let me destroy you. And of course I should thank your uncaring neighbors, the Lylat, Omicron, and Antares systems for turning a wonderfully blind eye to the deaths of millions."

Krystal glared at him, she could sense a sickening sense of pride about his act of genocide. She was beginning to wonder if Marcellus were even a person, or if he were simply evil incarnate. How could anyone think the killing of millions of innocent people, children included, was something to smile about? How could anyone feel pride about something like that? "You disgust me."

Marcellus shrugged, "Another vixen once said that to me."

"Really?" Asked Krystal, venom in her voice, "She was a smart woman."

Marcellus smiled, "Yes, she finally submitted though, gave me my son Decius. It's quite interesting how willing an opened mind can be when it comes to obeying even unspoken wishes."

Krystal's eyes widened, she could sense lust coming off of him now, and not just at the memory of Decius's mother whoever she had been. She could feel lust aimed at her, she could see his eyes observing her, noting the curves of her body. She felt sick. Then she had the sudden and overwhelming urge to slap the man in front of her, she made no attempt to resist, her hand flew towards his face, he caught it. "Now now, no need to resort of violence. We are creatures of the mind, and I think there is something you should see."

As he said this he began to squeeze Krystal's hand tightly, the pain and the fact that she couldn't get away slowly made her sink to her knees. "And what might that be?" She asked between clenched teeth.  
Looking down at her he said "Your future."

* * *

Krystal stood in the kitchen of the home that she and Fox owned. It was dark out and the clock read eight PM, their six year old son Marcus was just finishing up his dinner. Fox wasn't home yet. She didn't know where he was, the past few nights he had been going out in the afternoon and not returning home until late at night, or as in the case of today not until the early morning. He had gone out again this afternoon. So far Krystal had refused to speculate on what he might be doing, she didn't want to think about it, and she didn't want Marcus with his developing telepathy to pick up on any of it.

Krystal sensed something. Fox was home. But there was something off about him. His mind seemed to be in a sort of haze, as if he was hiding his inner thoughts from her. That was strange, Fox rarely hid his thoughts from her. He trusted her, and she had always trusted him. Why would he be hiding his thoughts from her? Then she sensed what he was thinking about, a thought that seemed to slip out from the haze his mind was currently in. The memory was a rather lurid one involving a girl other than herself. Krystal could sense that the memory was recent. She bit her lip, it couldn't be true. Fox could not be cheating on her. But...it fit. It made sense. Where else would he have been going these past few days, why else would he be staying out so late?

The door opened and Fox's voice, sounding a bit slurred, called out, "I'm home!"

Then more memories worked their way out of the haze, more memories of him and that same girl. Suddenly Krystal felt all the trust, all the faith that she had put in her husband evaporate. And she felt the love she had felt since they had first met being replaced with something else, something far more crippling. Disappointment.  
A moment later Fox walked into the kitchen-living room area. The clothes he was wearing looked rumpled, as if they had just been thrown on again in a hurry. That lurid memory she had sensed came back to her, it wasn't just recent, it was only hours old. Krystal could also sense however that Fox's lustful feelings were not yet sated. Looking at Marcus she said, "Marcus, go upstairs to your room and stay there."  
Fox looked at her funny, "Why are you sending-him away?"  
Krystal saw Marcus looking between her and his father. She knew he could sense at least partially the feelings coming off of both of them. He could probably sense Fox's drunkenness, and he could probably sense how unhappy she was feeling. "Momma?" He asked, looking confused.

"Upstairs Marcus. Please." She added the last word almost pleadingly, she didn't want the six year old kit to see what might happen when she confronted Fox. Quite honestly she herself would rather not see what happened, but she wasn't going to let this go, she had to do this now, before it festered.

Marcus hopped off his stool and quickly went upstairs. When she heard the door close she said to softly to Fox, "Six years. Six years of marriage and this is what I get."

Fox stepped closer to her, his arms slipped around her waist and his hands began to travel lower, "No, I'm going to show you what you get for six years Krystal."

She could smell the alcohol on his breath, it made her sick, and it made her sick that he could come home and expect love making out of her right after he had just done it was some girl years younger than her. "Get away from me!" She shoved him back. Anger replacing her disappointment.

Fox stared at her, confused and angry looking, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
Krystal glared at him, "I know Fox. I know all about it. I didn't want to think about it before, but I'm not going to lie to myself again tonight. You're having an affair."

Fox shrugged, "What are you so upset about? It was just some girl wanted a memory with her hero."

Krystal exploded, "Are you fucking KIDDING ME? You think it's ok? You think I won't mind that you just did it this once despite that you've been out every day this week doing it? What do you take me for? The same slut you fucked tonight?"  
Fox growled, "Don't talk to me that way. I'm your husband damn it! You do what I say and I do whatever the hell I want when I'm away from you."

Krystal slapped him, she realized the moment she did it that she made a mistake. The anger in his eyes turned into full on rage, "You bitch! You fucking bitch!" He slapped her back then, she fell the floor it was so hard, a moment later she felt him holding her down, "I'll fucking teach you..."  
She could feel him begin to rip the clothes she was wearing off of her. She screamed, tears running from her eyes. Fox pulled her head up by the hair, through the pain she saw something that filled her with desperation, Marcus was there, watching. "Fox! Stop! Please stop! Marcus!"  
Fox didn't stop, he ignored her and kept on going, and Marcus just looked at her, glared at her as if she was in the wrong for resisting Fox, and then walked away. Tears streamed from her eyes, this couldn't be happening, this couldn't be her Fox. Images floated before her eyes, images of Fox with other women, of him drinking and taking off his wedding ring. Of him laughing to his friends that she was so dumb that even with her telepathy she hadn't caught on to the fact that it had been going on for almost a year now. Krystal felt her heart breaking. Then...

"Krystal."

Fiora? Suddenly her sister was standing in front of her, her eyes looking on her with understanding, and a steely determination. A look that told Krystal her sister was determined not to let this happen to her. "Krystal, it isn't real. I know Decius wants him to think he's broken you, but don't let him. It isn't real. Fight him!"

Krystal's resolve returned suddenly, but fighting this apparition of Fox wasn't the answer. Fighting Marcellus was the answer. "Marcellus." She said, ignoring the images taunting her, ignoring the feeling of Fox raping her. "Oh you stupid, arrogant Amanoi. Fox. Is not. A rapist. As if you think I would be too blind to see it. As if you thought all you had to do to trick me was make me think Fox was a drunk adulterous rapist. Ha!"

The images faded, the world around her faded. The apparition was gone. Had she...

* * *

"I'm sorry Mrs. McCloud, Mr. McCloud. There isn't anything we can do for him."

Krystal looked from the lab coated doctor to the hospital bed next to her. There was Marcus, six years old and already dying. She heard Fox crying next to her. She heard the faintly beeping monitors, the sound of the IV drip, and suddenly she couldn't be in the same room with all of that, "I'll..." She fought back her own tears, "I'll be right back."

Krystal practically ran out of the room, down the halls, and out of the hospital. This couldn't be happening. Her son could not be dying, not at his age. He was too young.

"I can save him."

Krystal looked behind her to the sound of that voice. Standing there was a black furred fox in his middle fifties looking at her sympathetically. "What?"

"I can save him. But I would ask one thing in return."  
Krystal knew she shouldn't listen, but how could she not? This was Marcus, her Marcus, her baby boy. "What? Anything."

The black furred fox smiled and held out a hand, "I only ask that you help me in the end. Help me to take the Heart for myself."

Krystal wanted to say no, but she couldn't. If this man could save her son, well than she would help this man get whatever he wanted. But just as she was about to take the hand of the black furred fox she heard a voice. A sweet, innocent, young voice. "No momma."

She looked down and saw Marcus standing there, his eyes pleading. "What?" How could he be here? She had just seen him in the hospital bed. Unless...  
Marcus reached up and took his mother's hand. "No momma. Please no."

"Take my hand and he will live." The black furred fox said.

Krystal looked at him, this was wrong. "Marcellus."

Marcellus frowned, "Does it matter? I can save your son."

Krystal looked down at the young fox tod at her feet then said, "No. I don't have a son. Not yet. And even if I did, even Marcus says that the price you ask is too high. I won't give in to you. Not now, not ever."

* * *

Krystal felt the connection break suddenly, violently. She looked up and saw Marcellus staring wide eyed down at her. Grabbing her by the arms he picked her up and looked into her eyes. "How?"

Krystal smiled, "Because unlike you, I am not alone."

Marcellus growled and threw her down to the floor before storming out the cell. Krystal looked over to Fiora who said, "No, you were never alone. And you never will be."

* * *

A/N: Just one more little thing, if you got through this whole chapter congrats, oh and who can guess where that second vision came from? Hmmmm, might be familiar to a few of you. Anyways thank you for reading and please tell me what you thought, this chapter I could really use your thoughts on. It was after all pretty different from what you all might have come to expect from the story. Until next time...

-general whitefur


	10. Chapter X Good Conversation

CHAPTER X

GOOD CONVERSATION

The doors to the cell that Krystal and Fiora were in opened. Krystal looked up from where she had been unsuccessfully attempting to sleep and saw Decius, flanked by two guards, standing there. Decius did not look happy. Motioning to the two guards he said, "Restrain them, if they resist subdue them."

Krystal glanced at Fiora who gave a small shake of her head, don't resist. "On your feet!" One of the guards said.

Krystal stood up and a moment later felt her hands being cuffed behind her. Fiora's hands were cuffed at the same time. Looking at her sister Krystal silently spoke to her through her telepathy. _Do you have any idea what's going on?_

_ No idea. Just go along with it, Decius is here so we should be all right._ Fiora responded.

_He doesn't look happy._ Krystal said as the two of them were shoved out of the cell. She looked at Decius and noted the set of his jaw and the way he seemed to be glaring straight ahead. Krystal briefly attempted to probe his mind but like all the other times she had done so found herself rebuffed by his ever present mental barriers. Krystal didn't like it when she couldn't sense someone, it made her feel uncomfortable, vulnerable, to hell with the fact that Decius was supposedly on their side.

_You're right Krystal, I'm not happy. You resisted my father rather than fooling him into thinking you were broken, and now he wants to see you on his ship._

The feeling of frustration from Decius's telepathy made Krystal begin to chew on her lower lip as they were led out of the prison area. As they ascended the steps Krystal asked, _Is he going to find the Heart?_

_ Obviously._ Was Decius's only reply.

Krystal could feel her temper beginning to mount, she didn't like the way Decius was talking, and once more the fact that she couldn't sense his thoughts bothered her greatly. For all she knew he was playing them, he might have shared his thoughts before, but if he could block telepathy whenever he wanted it meant that he could make even the smallest opening look as if he had shared everything.

_Sister. Trust him. He loves me._

_ Does he Fiora? Or is he just making you think he does?_

_ He loves me. And I love him._ Fiora punctuated the remark by shooting a glance at Krystal.

Krystal folded her ears back, she shouldn't have questioned Fiora's judgment, she was wise beyond her years. The group ascended the final set of stairs to reach a doorway. When the doors were opened they found themselves outside the senate building. Krystal looked around and saw numerous Aurelians, all armed, all wearing the distinctive green tunics that she guessed were standard military garb. She could also sense the buzz of excitement and activity, something big was definitely going on.

Krystal and Fiora were led to a nearby landing pad and quickly ushered inside of a waiting shuttlecraft. The two guards sat in back while Decius took the controls, Fiora and Krystal sat facing each other on two side benches, watched closely by the guards. As the shuttle lifted off Krystal said, "How is Marcellus? Still reeling from the fact that I beat him at his own game?"  
Decius was silent, apparently focused entirely on his flying. Krystal glanced at the guards and the tunics they were wearing, "Do they make you wear skirts so that people will make you angry with taunts?"

The guards both looked at her, one of them looked peeved at the mention of his clothing and the fact that it didn't have leggings to go along with it. Before either of them said anything though Decius snapped his fingers and said, "Ignore her."

Krystal grinned, "Getting under the fur? Must be sensitive about fashion."

Decius glanced back at her, "At least our clothes don't smell like a jail cell."

Krystal sniffed, "Hmmm, you're right. Perfume then?"

Fiora looked at her sister and said, "Krystal, when did you ever become so ill mannered?"  
Krystal shrugged, "Comes with being a mercenary and being held against my will."

One of the guards looked at her, "You fight?"

Krystal looked back at him. Sizing him up she smirked when he squirmed a bit, she really could give a withering death stare when she wanted to. "Mmhmm. I wouldn't piss me off if I were you."  
Decius glanced back again and said, "Another word Krystal and I will order them to muzzle you."

Krystal smiled, perhaps she had said enough. Settling back into her seat she looked at Fiora. She didn't like what she saw. It was obvious to her how long her sister had been in that cell. Her clothes, though they still covered her, looked worn and dirty. Her fur was matted in some places, and her scent indicated that though she had had baths every once in awhile to keep her from catching any diseases she was far from the immaculate cleanliness Krystal had always known her for. And she was skinny, not trim or lithe like Krystal, but skinny, probably from malnourishment. _Fiora?_

_ Yes?_

_ Are you OK?_

Fiora looked into Krystal's eyes and said, _Will be. Once all of this is done, once I have a home again. Once we all don't have to worry about Marcellus._

_ You mean me and you?_

_ No, I mean you, me, and all the other survivors. I guess you didn't know, some of us got away, I don't know how many exactly, but probably a thousand or a bit more. We're spread across Lylat, Omicron, and Antares. In hiding. I was in Omicron when they found me._

Krystal just stared. She had had no idea. All these years she had believed that she was the only one left, that she was quite literally the last Cerinian alive. Then she had found out Fiora was alive, it had heartened her to know that she wasn't the only one, but it had still only been one other. Now to hear that thousands might have gotten away, that they had gotten away, it was incredible. It meant that there was some hope of perhaps one day rebuilding their culture. One day they might actually be able to find a world or a place that they could all call home. It also filled her with even more determination to defeat Marcellus, so that a future for her people might be safer.

"Our destination." Decius said.

Krystal and Fiora both turned to look out of the viewport. Ahead of them was a vessel, the light of the Aurelian sun reflecting off the green plating. The middle consisted of a long body that stretched perhaps a hundred meters out beyond the two raptor like wings that flanked it and ended in a triangular head. Krystal could tell that the ship was well armed, weapons banks stretched across the wings, but like many Cornerian vessels the weapons had been built into the hull rather than made to attach to it, it made the hull smoother and more aesthetically pleasing, it also made it more difficult to disable only certain weapons.

"Does the ship have a name?" Asked Krystal.

"Yes." Said Decius. "Ehtoh."

Krystal nodded, Ehtoh meant order, a fitting name for an Amanoi vessel. Their idea of order defined them, an ordered mind and an ordered society, and a society controlled only by the strongest mind, or the most scheming. Marcellus seemed to fit the bill perfectly in both regards now that Krystal thought about it.

The shuttle docked and Krystal and Fiora were almost immediately separated with the two guards leading Fiora away. Krystal looked at Decius, "Where are they taking her?"

"Quarters."

"Another cell then."

Decius shook his head, "No, guest quarters. She'll be allowed to clean up, dress in something more appealing, and eat to her heart's content." Decius began walking out of the hangar motioning for Krystal to follow. For a moment Krystal considered attempting to get back in the shuttle and escape, but her hands were bound and she had no idea how to get out of the restraints. Suddenly she heard a click and the restraints clattered to the floor. She looked and saw Decius standing there with a remote device. He smiled and said, "Marcellus wants you to be a guest as well."

Krystal stared at him, "And what's to stop me from kicking you in the balls and making like mad for the nearest ship to escape?"

Decius shrugged, "Nothing. Though we still need you so I hope you won't do that."

Krystal sighed, "True. You know Decius," The two began to walk, exiting the hangar, "You sometimes make it very hard to trust you."  
He grimaced, "How many times have I heard that from people?"

Krystal looked at him curiously, then she realized what he meant, "You're own people, the other Amanoi, they don't trust you at all do they?"

The two stepped into a lift, "No," The doors closed, "They loathe me for what I am. The embodiment of a private mind, with private thoughts, and ever since my birth the unwavering trust of my father. Deck twelve."

"Your father trusts you?"  
Decius nodded, "Yes. Even though he shouldn't. And I suppose it's his one weakness, deep down I think he really does love me, and that maybe he even loved my mother somehow."

"Then why betray him?"

"Halt lift." The lift ceased moving and Decius looked at her, "Because whether he loves me or not he is an evil man. I've seen the level of his cruelty, and not just to you and Fiora, I was there when your world was destroyed. Destroying an entire people is nothing to him, he doesn't enjoy it but he doesn't hate it either. To him it's just one more way to spit in death's eye, one more way to ensure that he will be remembered as the greatest Amanoi there ever was. Ask him when you see him, ask him why he does what he does, he may very well tell you." Decius turned away and said, "Lift resume."

The next few moments before the lift doors opened were spent in silence. Krystal attempted to digest everything that Decius had told her, as well as the fact that from what it looked like she was about to have another meeting with Marcellus. She hoped that this meeting wouldn't be another violation of her mind.

The lift doors opened and Decius stepped out, Krystal followed. She found herself in a rather large room. The normal ship deck plating had been covered in a hard wood laminate floor, there were clusters of comfortable looking chairs and couches, and on the far side of the room a massive viewport looking out on the stars. She noticed two things about the viewport, the fact that a man was standing in front of it, and that in addition to the star field a Cornerian vessel could be seen in the distance. Decius spoke, "Imperator, I have brought you Krystal as requested."  
The man in front of the viewport gave his vulpine tail a single wag before turning around. It was indeed Marcellus. "Thank you Decius, you may go my son."

Decius bowed and stepped back into the lift, but not before he gave Krystal's hand a fleeting touch, she felt him project a certain reassurance, it made Krystal feel a bit better. When the lift doors had closed Marcellus motioned for her to come closer. Krystal stayed where she was. "Come now Krystal, I dislike having conversations from across a large room."

"That isn't my problem."  
"Come closer."

"No."  
Marcellus walked closer to her then, "You are strong willed and seem to dislike following orders."

"I have problems with authority when I don't like the person who wields it."

Marcellus nodded, "I see. Why do you hate me so much? Is it simply because I am Amanoi and you are Cerinian?"  
Krystal looked at him, was he mad? "No. It is because you committed genocide against my people. Killed them in their homes, as they slept, as they worked, as they tended to their children. And it's because you've taken a people like the Aurelians and twisted them into your own slave race. Not to mention the fact that you have violated not only my mind but the mind of my sister as well, and gods know how many others. Frankly Marcellus I don't see what is to like about you."

Marcellus smiled, "Not much from your point of view. Do you know what a Rceet Voit is?"

"Blood Feud." Said Krystal flatly.

"Exactly." Said Marcellus. "A very ancient custom both our people share. Well do you know what started the Great War?"

Krystal crossed her arms, "You attacked us. A peaceful people. Then you decided to commit genocide both during the war, and to avenge your defeat."

Marcellus shook his head and began to pace around her slowly, "No, no, we were trying to prevent genocide the first time. After all a blood feud only ends when one side utterly destroys the other. And Cerinians declared a blood feud on us a century before the war."  
That was news to Krystal, "Really? I'm surprised we didn't act on it for a century. Or rather I'm not. Cerinians outlawed that practice centuries before the war. If some nut said it to you we never would have acted on it."  
"Really?"  
"Really."  
Marcellus stopped in front of her, "We are dying."

"What do you mean?" Asked Krystal, though she had a feeling she knew.

"I mean," Said Marcellus, "That we, the Amanoi are dying. In two generations we will all be dead or so inbred as to be afflicted with untold numbers of genetic afflictions."

"How?" Krystal asked, her voice was a bit hushed, she knew what his answer would be.

"Well technically," He explained, "It's because there are so few of us now that we have taken to incest to keep bloodlines clean. I mated with an Aurelian though that meant Decius could never be expected to survive without my protection, so I gave it to him. But ultimately what caused it was the fact that when we were exiled there we not enough of us remaining to avoid inbreeding for more than a two centuries. In effect Krystal you and your people exiled mine to die slowly. Can you blame us for striking back?"  
Krystal looked Marcellus in the eye, he wasn't lying. "So, all of this just for revenge?"  
Marcellus shrugged, "We vowed before you exiled us that we would find a way to outlive you. And I intend to ensure that we do. I will retrieve the Heart, and I will use it to carve out an empire so that our legacy will live on forever, or at least long after the glories of the isolationist Cerinians have faded to a dim memory."

Krystal shook her head, "I'm not sure I hate you anymore Marcellus. I think I pity you, because you won't win."

Marcellus smiled, "Perhaps. But even in failure I suspect I will achieve my goal."

* * *

Fox sat in Bill's ready room on board the _Victory_. It had been about a day since his and Krystal's failed attempt to rescue Fiora and Fox was looking a bit worse for wear. He hadn't been able to sleep, he kept wondering if he should have done things differently, and he wondered just what Krystal was being subjected to. Decius had said that the Amanoi used psychological torture, in fact a far worse version of it than any that Fox could think of, and what had he done? He had walked right into the trap, a trap he had figured out, and allowed his girlfriend, the woman he loved above all others get trapped in a cell likely to be tortured. What had he been thinking? She had screamed for him to help her and all he had done was assure her that there was a plan, that everything would work out, and in the meantime she was probably being tortured, being forced to live through brutal memories and scenarios all so that her will would break.

Falco, Slippy, and Fay had all done their best to console him, telling him that Krystal understood, that she knew that there was a lot at stake. It didn't help much, all three of them, no all four of them, Fox included, had no idea really what the situation was. All Fox knew was what Decius had told him, and Decius was the one who had betrayed him, Decius was the one who had kicked the cell door closed. Fox couldn't help but wonder if he had been had. True the other fox had quite literally revealed his thoughts and feelings to him, but still, Fox wished he had at least let Krystal know what was going on as soon as he had gotten the suspicion, not after she was trapped.

"Fox?"

Fox shook himself, Bill was looking at him with concern in his eyes. "What Bill?"  
"Peppy's calling back. You all right?"  
Fox nodded "I will be." Almost as soon as they had arrived on board Bill had sent a priority one message to general Peppy Hare about the situation, outlining the fact that negotiations had more or less been cancelled and that the Aurelian head of state was holding and refusing to let go a Cornerian citizen, not to mention an honored war hero of the Aparoid conflict. Peppy had spoken to them only briefly upon receiving the message, basically telling him that he would have to confer with the prime minster as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before he could give them an answer on what to do. Fox could tell however that Peppy had been holding back on the instinct to tell them to go in guns blazing if necessary to get Krystal back, she was practically a daughter to him these days.

Peppy's face appeared on the screen and Bill said, "Sir."  
"Peppy." Said Fox. He noted that Peppy's face was being kept carefully neutral, he hoped that wasn't a bad sign.

"Bill, Fox. I've spoken with the prime minister and the minister for foreign affairs. They are not willing to cause an officially sanctioned incident over this."

Fox growled, "What? You mean they want us to stand by and let these people take a citizen of Corneria, a woman who helped save the whole goddamn planet they're sitting on!"

Bill motioned for Fox to calm down, Fox noticed that his friend seemed to have caught on to something he had missed. "You said officially sanctioned. What exactly do you mean sir?"

Peppy smiled a bit, "It means they aren't willing to authorize you to use whatever means to get her back. Not officially. However in light of the fact that she is as Fox said a war hero and well loved public icon now, if you were to do something rash or emotional, well you'd end up with a reprimand but your command intact."

Bill smiled, "In other words they'd be willing to more or less look the other way so long as I agree that it was my fault and my bad decision." Peppy nodded, "How delightfully political."

Peppy chuckled, "They are politicians. And they know the stakes, if you can get her back officially you would have simply taken things into your own hands, by only giving you a slap on the wrist they're safe at home, by saying it was you and only you they're safe abroad. Go get her guys, and get her home safe."

"Aye sir." Bill said.

"Thanks Peppy." Fox said, he had a feeling it was Peppy who had convinced the prime minister to do things this way.

The communication terminated and Bill looked at Fox, "What now?" Asked Fox.

Bill quirked an eyebrow to in effect say "You know the answer." before hitting the comm link on his desk, "All hands this is your captain speaking, battle stations battle stations. I say again battle stations battle stations."

* * *

A/N: Ha! I leave you with another cliffhanger. I am merciless that way aren't I? Well this story as I have said is moving into its final stages, I plan to have it finished this month actually. If you would be so kind as to leave a review I would greatly appreciate it, it helps motivate me and makes me feel warm and fuzzy to know that people are actually (hopefully) enjoying this story that I have crafted. Until next time...

-general whitefur


	11. Chapter XI Emotionally Compromised

CHAPTER XI

EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED

The call to battle stations had not come as a surprise to Fay Spaniel. The ship had been abuzz with talk of what Bill and general Hare would decide to do about the fact that the Aurelian Imperator had taken Krystal prisoner. Fay, who was both extremely talkative and adept at eavesdropping, had determined that the entire ship's crew was behind Bill in doing something no matter what anyone back home might think. Krystal was a member of Star Fox, and Star Fox had saved everyone on more than one occasion. Then of course there was the fact that the Cornerian military saving Star Fox instead of the other way around played to the egos of more than a few people. They'd all be heroes in their own right back home for having saved a hero.

Fay walked onto the bridge, as per protocol the Commander of Fighters reported to the bridge to personally receive her combat orders. Walking over to Bill, Fox standing next to him, she saluted and said, "My pilots are ready sir, and my fighter has been prepped since yesterday. What are my orders?"  
"Your orders commander," Bill said, "Are to be prepared to escort a shuttlecraft to the enemy vessel and back. If they won't give her up we will knock out their weapons and shields and forcibly retrieve Krystal."  
"What about Star Fox sir?" Asked Fay.

Bill glanced back at Fox and said, "They won't be going."  
Fox's eyes widened, "Bill..."

Bill turned to his friend and said, "Listen, I know you want to help, and I know Krystal means the world to both you and your entire team. But I cannot let you go on a mission where you are going to be emotionally compromised."  
Fox's face contorted in anger, "What?! Bill you have got to be..."  
"Don't argue this Fox." Bill said, his voice raised a bit, "You have your orders and they are to sit this one out. Am I understood?"  
Fox grimaced but nodded, "Understood, _sir._" With that Fox stormed off the bridge.

Fay watched him go and said, "Are you sure Bill?"  
Bill nodded, "Yes. Now get going. I want you ready to launch at a moment's notice."

Fay saluted, "Yes honey." Bill gave her a chiding look, "Yes sir." She amended before walking off the bridge, though she gave Bill a little wag of her tail to let him know she was only having fun with him.

As soon as Fay was off the bridge Bill returned to his command chair. He didn't like telling Fox to sit this out, and truth be told he would feel a bit more confident with him and Falco in space with Fay, but Fox was in no shape to lead a combat mission rationally. Fox would realize that too once he had managed to clear his head, he might be angry but it would pass. For now though Bill couldn't afford to worry about his friend's state of mind. "Status?" He asked.

Commander Donovan, his Doberman first officer took up a position next to Bill's chair and said, "All weapons active, we have closed to within weapons range, shields are up, fighters and marine dropship standing by for launch on your orders."  
Bill nodded, "Communications, hail the vessel."

"They are responding sir." Came the response a moment later.

On the viewscreen an image of Marcellus appeared. The black furred fox looked...annoyed. "Captain Grey am I to assume that you are pointing your guns at me because you want Krystal back?"

Bill nodded, "Yes sir. If you do not release her immediately and allow me to send a shuttle to retrieve her I will be forced to disable your ship and take her by force."  
"Really?" Marcellus looked unimpressed.  
"Yes sir, what is your response?"  
Marcellus simply said, "No."

The communication terminated. Bill frowned, "Well that..." Before he could finish his sentence the ship rocked violently, sparks flew from several nearby consoles. Alarm klaxons began to blare and Bill yelled to be heard above the din, "Report!"  
Donovan bounded to the tactical console and reported, "Sir, two, no three more hostile vessels have decloaked and opened fire. Shields down to forty-two percent, we have hull damage in sections three, seven and nine. Main power holding but below one hundred percent."

Bill cursed strongly enough to make several younger crewman squirm a bit in their seats. Those cloaking devices really did make things difficult. He should have anticipated that the Aurelians would have quietly and covertly surrounded him. "Any chance we can get off a shot without them vaporizing us?"

Donovan shook his head, "No sir. And with those cloaking devices there could be a dozen more ships out there and we wouldn't know it."  
"Hail the Imperators vessel." Bill said simply. He made sure to keep his earlier shock and frustration out of his voice. They were clearly outnumbered and certainly outgunned, at this point he was scared and he knew his crew was as well. They had gone from a rescue mission in a one on one ship battle, something they had been confident about winning, to being surrounded on four sides by hostile vessels clearly pissed off about the threat to their leader. His crew needed him to be a calm center to this storm that they could look to in order to lead them out of this, Bill had every intention of being that for them.

"You're on captain."

"Imperator Marcellus, I think you have me at a disadvantage at the moment."

Marcellus appeared on the screen. "Clearly." He said.

Bill gritted his teeth for a moment before saying, "In the interest of preventing any loss of life I offer my withdrawal from your system." He didn't like saying it, but if it came down to letting Krystal stay a prisoner until they could come back to get her and saving the lives of his crew, well he had a duty to protect his crew no matter the cost.

"No captain."

Bill's eyes widened, "Imperator?"

Marcellus's formerly inscrutable face broke into a smile, "I invite you to join us."

Bill glanced around the bridge, he wasn't the only one unsure of what he was hearing. "Excuse me?"

Marcellus explained, "I invite you to join us as envoys of your world, to see firsthand a remarkable event that will be our retrieval of the Heart of Cerinia."

"Do I have a choice?" Bill asked. He was tempted to take the offer either way, Marcellus and whatever this heart was had been made clear to be a security threat to Corneria, and this would offer a chance for him and his crew to gather intelligence. That and it was possible another chance to rescue Krystal might arise if they went along. Still, Bill had to know if he was going to have a choice, or if he was going to be traveling to find this Heart of Cerinia with a gun pointed to his head.

"Captain, I can clearly destroy you at any time. I would rather not however provoke a war when I don't want one." Marcellus paused, "But if you are not amicable to these terms then..."

Bill knew what the unfinished half of the sentence was. "Very well. We will accompany you as official envoys of Corneria."

Marcellus smiled once again, "I am pleased to hear that. The three ships surrounding you will continue to escort me. They will cloak, however I will have my ship remain visible to you and your sensors so that you can follow us. Just remember, those ships are standing by to intervene at any time. Good day captain."

The communication terminated and Bill said to the empty air, "Good day Imperator."

* * *

Krystal sat in the guest quarters that had been assigned to her and Fiora. The quarters were nice, luxurious even when compared to the living arrangements on the _Victory_. There were soft couches and chairs, a table for eating, a desk with a computer terminal, though the terminal was highly restricted, and there were separate beds for her and her sister. A window offered a view out into space. Krystal had been gazing out that window when she had heard alarm klaxons begin to blare, a moment later she had heard a whirring noise as her room was remotely locked. Krystal had been expecting to feel weapons impacts, and then cover her ears as the door exploded and Fox and a team of Cornerian Marines stormed into rescue them. No such thing had happened.

Instead the alarms had stopped after only a few minutes, there had been no weapons impacts, and then the ship had turned and jumped to superluminal. "I guess it didn't go well." Said Fiora, breaking the silence that had pervaded the room for the last half hour.

Krystal hung her head, "No, I don't think it did. But I didn't sense any deaths, so it can't be all bad."

Fiora smiled, "True. Perhaps there is still a chance. But Krystal, you know if they had rescued you..."

Krystal looked at her sister, "That I couldn't have gone?" Fiora nodded. "Fiora, I think I would have. What we really need to do is kill Marcellus."

Fiora shook her head, "Killing Marcellus won't matter, he isn't the danger, the Heart is."  
"Are you so sure?"

Fiora looked at her incredulously, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Began Krystal, "Are you sure that without Marcellus the Amanoi would still be a threat? I'm starting to wonder if all of this is really the work of one man."

Fiora walked over to sit next to her sister, looking at her she said, "What did he tell you?"  
"They're dying Fiora."

"Dying?"

"Yes, dying." Krystal said. "Two generations and it's over, they'll all be dead or beset by genetic disease. They've been inbreeding, incest Fiora. That's what we doomed them to when we exiled them centuries ago. A slow death."

Fiora sighed, "So? So what if the Amanoi are all going to die? So what if they die out? You know what they are, you know what they did, and you know what they're planning. If it means in a generation or two no one will have to worry about them again, isn't that a good thing?"

Krystal stared at her sister, "How can you think extinction is a good thing? How can you think dooming them to die is any better than the genocide they've committed?"

Fiora shrugged, "Because I can't sympathize with them, not after having seen the destruction of our world. Not after feeling the deaths of mother and father. And I don't want to see that happen to Lylat, or any other people. We have to stop them, and destroying the Heart is the only way to do that."

Krystal turned away, "I'm not so sure anymore."

* * *

Fox tossed and turned in bed. Two days and two nights of traveling now. Two days and two nights of traveling alongside a genocidal madman who had his girlfriend, his mate, his love as his captive. Two days and two nights of worrying about how to get her back, worrying about what was being done to her, and worrying about what she might be like when he got her back. Fox had had very little sleep. Falco, Slippy and Fay were all trying to cheer him up, giving him the same assurances they always did, but in the end it did nothing to help Fox sleep. It was all his fault, he should have done things differently, he should have stayed with her, been captured alongside her, something.

Fox threw off the hopelessly twisted bed covers with a yell before promptly punching a fist into his pillow. How could he have let this happen? Never once had he lost someone on his team, never once had anyone been captured. There had been close calls, Slippy's near death on Titania during the Lylat Wars being the worst of them, but he had always figured out a way to help his teammates cheat fate. Fox knew that after all they had done, all they had been through, the amount of action they had seen and the enemies they had taken on they all should have been dead a hundred times over by now. They were alive though, none of them were dead, every member of his Star Fox team had survived, and that was because they were the best and because they looked out for each other. In Star Fox everyone knew that their teammates had their back. They could always count on each other. Then Fox had let Krystal down. He was supposed to have had her back, and instead he had let her get captured to combat some vague threat told to him by someone he barely knew. Someone who was the son of a madman. How could he have been so stupid?

"GAH!" Fox bit into his pillow and pulled, ripping it to shreds. The stuffing flew across the room, Fox looked down at it and wished it was Marcellus's throat he had just ripped out. Or Decius, but that thought for some reason made him feel a bit ashamed. For whatever reason he trusted the other fox, and despite what had happened Fox still found that there was something about Decius that seemed trustworthy, no matter what had happened.

Deciding that the answers to his questions would not be answered by destroying his bedding Fox got out of bed, stretched, threw on a shirt and decided to head for the gym. There was probably a punching bag in there, something he could take his frustrations out on. As he walked down the corridors of the ship towards the gym he noted that the crewmen who passed him gave him a wide berth and tried not to look at him too much. Fox understood why, he probably looked half out of his mind. Two hours of sleep in two days and constant stress and anxiety could have that effect.

When he reached the gym he looked around. It was empty accept for a single shirtless male canine who looked to have been there for a few hours already. Fox knew who it was, Bill. Fox also knew it was probably a good idea to avoid the other canine, he was still angry for having been ordered to sit out the rescue, and he was angry that Bill hadn't thought to be prepared for the cloaked ships. In other words Fox blamed the botched rescue on his friend, not on the fact that they had simply been outmaneuvered. It wasn't rational and it wasn't fair, but rationality and fairness were not something that Fox had had in abundance the past two days.

Heading over to a punching bag Fox pulled on a pair of gloves from a small container next to it and raised his fists. He imagined Bill's face on the punching bag and quickly let loose. Right fist, left fist, kicks, every move he knew he poured onto the bag. He was just beginning to work up a sweat when he heard a voice. Stopping he turned and saw Bill standing there. "What?" The word came out harsh and fast, exactly how Fox intended it.

"I asked if you wanted to spar?"

Fox looked Bill up and down, his friend was as fit as ever. His breed of canine was also a bit bulkier than vulpines, Fox had always envied the thicker muscles Bill had. Often times when compared to wolves, big dogs, and big cats Fox looked scrawny. Still the opportunity to beat the living tar out of Bill at the moment was a bit too good to ignore. "Sure."

Bill looked at him and said, "Ok, just don't kill me."  
Fox tried to smile and laugh, but it probably came out as more threatening than reassuring. They both took up positions opposite each other on the sparring mat, then Fox charged Bill without preamble. Bill dug in his heels just in time and Fox's charge was stopped dead against a wall of canine muscle. It only served to more quickly infuriate Fox, he could feel all rationality leaving his brain, he was going to finish this as fast as he could and humiliate Bill for all the sparring matches he had won in the past simply because he was the bigger dog in the ring.

As soon as the decision was made in his mind Fox's body was executing it punching Bill in the stomach harder than was generally to be expected in a friendly sparring match, Bill doubled over in surprise and Fox swept his feet out from under him, Bill hit the mat face first. Fox squatted down and said, "Nice match puppy dog."

Standing up and beginning to walk out of the gym Fox suddenly felt a crushing weight crash into him from behind. Fox quickly realized that Bill was far less incapacitated than he had thought, and that his friend was angry. He could feel Bill's breath on his neck when the canine said, "You're pissed at me aren't you Fox?"

Fox tried to jab Bill with his elbow but Bill's hands were keeping his arms firmly pinned. "Little bit."

"Why?" Bill asked.

Fox managed to get a bit of leverage and promptly used it to roll Bill under him switching their positions. "Because you wouldn't let me get Krystal."  
"Get Krystal?" Bill asked, his voice raised, they were both yelling. "What the fuck do you mean? The whole op was compromised, my ship was surrounded."

Fox, now turned around and pinning the larger dog down said, "Three ships! I took out twice as many at Fortuna by myself! Compromised my ASS! You should have let me fly!"  
Bill struggled to get Fox off of him, but Fox was proud to find that he was a match for the dog with the amount of adrenaline and emotion running through him. "Oh that's right," Bill said, "Fox McCloud the invincible, Fox McCloud the unbeatable. He can do what a whole fleet can't just you watch."

Fox grinned, "Damn straight."  
Bill growled, "You are fucking losing it."

"And so WHAT?!" Fox yelled loudly enough he was sure he could be heard in the corridor. "Krystal's probably being mind raped by some creep and you expect me to be calm and RATIONAL? Fuck that!"  
Bill looked up at his friend and knew exactly what Fox needed, to get it all out of his system, he needed to get angry, because getting angry was the thing he hadn't done the past two days. "Yes, I expect you to be rational. But then again egotistical boy wonder heroes aren't good at that are they? To busy soaking up the glory for saving the world!"  
Fox growled, "Exactly! I save the world when your sorry asses in the navy can't do it. Which is, the last time I checked, every damn time someone attacks Lylat."

"But you couldn't save her from a double cross, and now she's in enemy hands and you don't know what to do." Bill said, "Because all you've ever done is win. You can't take it when you lose Fox, you've never lost, never. You never faced the possibility that something was beyond your ability."

Fox's eyes widened, "Beyond my ability! It sure as hell wasn't beyond my ability to keep her from getting captured."

"Yes it was."

"No!"  
Bill looked into his friends eyes, "Yes, you did exactly what you were supposed to. It was a plan and you followed it. You got played, but that was supposed to happen. Do what you need to do now and she'll be fine."

Fox let out one more yell and gave Bill a punch in the face, it was poorly angled and he didn't hear any satisfying crunches, but when he looked down and saw the look on his friend's face he felt drained. Bill was looking at him with compassion in his eyes, not the rage Fox wanted to see there. Bill was trying to help him, offering himself as a living punching bag so his friend could get it all out, and suddenly Fox felt ashamed of himself. He let go of Bill and rolled onto the floor. He felt his voice tremble a bit when he said, "What do I do Bill?"

Bill helped Fox up and said, "For now go back to your quarters and sleep. We'll figure the rest out when we come to it."

Fox nodded lamely and said softly, "Sorry Bill."

Bill patted him on the back, "It's what friends are for, you needed someone to lash out at. Now, hopefully you can come at this thing sanely and we can get her back and foil whatever the loony bin is planning over there."

Fox nodded again. Bill walked him back to his room. After the door closed Fox collapsed onto his bed and began to fall asleep. For a moment though he imagined he could feel Krystal's arms around him, smiling he thought _Soon._ He would get her back, he was sure of it.

* * *

A/N: You know for a moment I was worried this chapter wouldn't get done in time for a Wednesday update, but as fortune would have it it was. As Act Three continues I am debating still on exactly how many chapters I intend to finish this with, it's between two and three, but I want to have it done and uploaded this month so it is possible there will be an update on a day other than Wednesday. A recommendation for other writers: plan out just how long your story is going to need to be, that way you won't run into the problems I always do, I'm rather minimalist when it comes to planning.

Now that I have bored you with logistical news and unsolicited advice I invite you to leave a review and tell me just what you thought of this chapter. I may have pushed the boundaries of Fox's character a bit in the last scene so I would certainly invite comment on that. Off you go!

-general whitefur


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